There is just one week to go until Leicester City have to wrap up their business but by the time the transfer deadline arrives, their squad could look very different.
City have so far signed six players but Enzo Maresca wants to welcome in another three, and maybe even more if certain squad members depart. What feels almost certain is that there will be more exits than arrivals over the final week, with City needing to offload those players who do not have futures under the current manager.
Having five senior goalkeepers fighting for one position is not necessary, and City won’t want to have any more than three in the squad they submit. The four games so far have shown that Mads Hermansen is number one and Jakub Stolarczyk is his deputy, which means Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen are very unlikely to get game-time if they do stick around.
With both having had periods as number one in the Premier League last term, neither is likely to want to stay and be third-choice in the Championship, but finding suitors for them is key. For Iversen, who has generated interest from Crystal Palace, it might be easier.
Alex Smithies, who is injured currently, could then operate as third-choice goalkeeper, as he did throughout last season.
Defenders
When City are in possession, the defence forms into a back three, and when everybody is fit, it seems likely that Conor Coady, Callum Doyle, and Wout Faes will make up the first-choice trio.
Coady and Doyle aren’t going anywhere having signed this summer, but Faes’ future is not yet certain. But, given he is on a long contract, City are well placed to resist any late offers for him.
While Coady is out, Jannik Vestergaard has been playing in the heart of the defence and Maresca has said he is important to the team. But his future is up in the air, the Dane having already outlined his intentions to leave, and with only a year remaining on his contract.
Among the remaining defenders, James Justin will be staying, but Timothy Castagne doesn’t want to and very likely won’t be, and Victor Kristiansen is set for a switch to Bologna in Italy.
Luke Thomas may leave on loan with Maresca suggesting there is no natural position for him in his set-up, while Harry Souttar is among those who has been left out of late. However, neither has yet been prominently linked with other clubs.
With Coady injured and perhaps because there is so much uncertainty around his defenders, Maresca has said he would like to strengthen in the back-line. Manchester City’s England Under-21 international, who was promoted with Burnley last season, has been most prominently linked.
A new face could also open the door for Ben Nelson to leave on loan. He’s been on the bench in recent matches but has not yet been handed an appearance under Maresca. He would not have to be registered anyway, as he is eligible for the under-21 list.
Midfield
In the centre of the park, Ricardo Pereira is acting as the full-back-turned-midfielder and Harry Winks is in the deep role alongside him, with Hamza Choudhury deputising for both. While there had been talk of potential exits for Ricardo and Choudhury earlier in the window, both are now expected to stay.
Further forward, in the number eight roles, it’s a little more complicated. Maresca is happy with his four options in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Cesare Casadei, Dennis Praet, and Wilfred Ndidi, but the latter two only have a year left on their contracts, and so are vulnerable to late exits.
Boubakary Soumare is totally out of the picture and is expected to go, but if nobody else leaves, nobody will arrive in the midfield, as Maresca is happy with who he has to choose from. Otherwise, departures could trigger activity.
Forwards
It’s in the front three where City are most likely to see at least one new face, with Maresca and the club eager to sign a new right-sided winger. But while one winger is a necessity, two is the ideal number.
City have been playing Kasey McAteer and Wanya Marcal on the right so far, and while both could stick around, with Marcal eligible for the under-21 list, two new arrivals would allow them to leave on loan and get more regular game-time elsewhere, as City would then have four options, with the two new signings alongside Marc Albrighton and Stephy Mavididi.