The Leicester City manager has been discussing the club’s business with a few new recruits wanted before the opening game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur
A replacement for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is among the transfers Leicester City must make to ensure they’re ready to attack the Premier League come the opening day.
The midfielder was sold to Chelsea for £30m this summer to help City comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules, leaving the club without their star man from last season’s Championship title success. And new boss Steve Cooper says City cannot go into the new season without signing a replacement for him.
Cooper, speaking after City’s 2-1 pre-season victory over Shrewsbury, reiterated his desire for a few more additions and wants them in place for the opening fixture against Tottenham on August 19 (8pm kick-off). But while he was reluctant to reveal which positions he felt needed strengthening, he did admit a forward-thinking midfielder like Dewsbury-Hall was on the list.
“We definitely have to bring players in and everybody knows that,” Cooper said. “The club are trying to do that. Sometimes it’s not easy to do and I understand that, because we’ve got to bring in the right players. We’ve got to make sure that when that first game comes, we’re in with a chance of doing what we need to do in the Premier League.
“It’s not as clear as saying we need this position, that position. We need certain profiles and certain additions of attributes we need to bring into the squad. I’m not going to say we need x number of players because if you don’t do that it sounds like you haven’t reached your number. If you get more, it sounds like there’s no plan.
“(Dewsbury-Hall) obviously had a really good season last year and the more I watched games from last year, the more I understood how well he did. He’s gone, good luck to him. We’ve got to look forward now. We’ve certainly got to replace him and some other positions, which we’re actively trying to do.
“There’s lots of stuff going on that I don’t think has managed to reach you guys (in the media). The club are working really hard and we’re really joined up in what we want to do. There’s a clear plan. Hopefully we can get a few players over the line, and the quicker the better.”
A new winger is also on the agenda, with Juventus’s Matias Soule a prominent target, and Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson the latest player to be linked. A new full-back is also possible.
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