Steve Cooper will now be looking for a variety of acquisitions to make now that he has taken over as Leicester City manager, to ensure the Foxes do not drop back to the Championship right away. The one-time Premier League champions will, undoubtedly, be the most confident of the trio that advanced from the second tier to the promised land of the top flight, having also won the division below with an incredible 31 wins.
Enzo Maresca, the mastermind in the dugout behind this accomplishment, has left for the attraction of Chelsea after promotion was achieved, and Cooper now has a point to prove at the King Power Stadium after departing Nottingham Forest on bad terms in the Premier League. Whether the Welshman is a success or not will depend on the incomings that Leicester can attract this summer, as the club does not want to sever the squad’s synergy from last season, but rather add in sprinkles of quality that can help the East Midlands side become an established top-flight team again.
Here’s what the perfect Leicester team could look like next season, with a former Cooper player set to join the Foxes, among other noteworthy signings…
GK: Mads Hermansen Mads Hermansen will seek to follow in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Kasper Schmeichel, who has moved up to the Premier League with Leicester, with the 37-year-old now an immortalised great at the King Power, having spent much of his early footballing career in the EFL. The current Foxes shot-stopper was solid for the title-winning side last season and will be trusted in goal when he moves up a league, having kept 13 clean sheets in 44 second-tier games.
RB: Ricardo Pereira Despite concerns that Ricardo Pereira’s head might be turned during Leicester’s relegation, the Portuguese defender remained in the East Midlands, even while playing in the lower division, and shone. Pereira would score three goals and assist three times as a right-back, and he would be anxious to return to the Premier League after making 102 appearances for his team in the top flight.
CB: Joe Rodon The Foxes’ initial venture into the transfer market might see Cooper reunite with a former Swansea City face in Joe Rodon, who is presently sought after a brilliant loan spell with Leeds United. He will be eager to put himself to the test in the Premier League, and with Leicester in need of more centre-back recruitment, the Welshman could be the finest option available.
Rodon dominated the Championship last season, with an average of 66 precise passes per match and a no-nonsense ability to win duels (4.7 on average). CB: Jannick Vestergaard Rodon might create a formidable partnership with Jannick Vestergaard next season, as the big Dane looks to reestablish his reputation in the top flight with his employers after making no league appearances in 2022-23. He was still an important player at the back in the division below, as the 31-year-old surpassed Rodon’s average duels total per game with 4.6 successful duels per match.
Cooper will try to be equally powerful in the Premier League, where Leicester intend to close down business in some games in order to pick up critical points. LB – Wout Faes Belgium international Wout Faes may be moved to left-back permanently next season to accommodate Rodon’s arrival, having previously excelled as a makeshift full-back in the Championship. The 26-year-old appeared here six times on his road to winning the second-tier title, three of which came in crucial games near the close of the season.
He thrived in this role particularly during Leicester’s penultimate league match away to Preston North End, where he had 113 touches of the ball in a 3-0 triumph that also saw him hit the woodwork with a shot on goal. CM: Harry Winks The former Tottenham Hotspur central midfielder was crucial in the middle of the park for the promotion-winning side last season, and he felt revitalized and revived at the King Power Stadium after his stint in North London ended.
The composed 28-year-old missed just one Championship game this season, and with 128 Premier League appearances under his belt during his whole career, his importance to the cause could only grow if Leicester find themselves struggling for survival at the bottom.
CM: Sean Longstaff CM: Kiernan DewsburyHall, Abdul Fatawu (RW), Tammy Abraham (ST), and Stephy Mavididi (LW)
Leave a Reply