Last season’s EFL Championship winners Leicester City begin 2025 in a less-than-ideal situation, with the club sitting 18th following four consecutive Premier League defeats.
Leicester’s honeymoon period under newly appointed manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy was short, almost non-existent. Fans hoped that the Foxes were turning over a new leaf following four points in the Dutchman’s first two league games, with Leicester’s 2-2 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion (in which they trailed 2-0 in the 85th minute) especially satisfying. However, the Foxes were thrashed 4-0 by Newcastle United a week later. Leicester followed that up with a gut-wrenching 3-0 home defeat to relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, a match touted as a must-win game for the Foxes.
Two defeats after the Wolves game leaves Leicester in the relegation zone, with four consecutive defeats and 13 goals conceded. There are clearly major problems in the defence, and Van Nistelrooy is aiming to fix some of them by bringing in some much-needed reinforcements in the January transfer window.
However, Leicester’s financial troubles (the club has faced problems complying with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules) and their relegation battle will make it difficult for the club to recruit the players Van Nistelrooy wants.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy will likely target a new full-back and a centre-back
The main area to fix is the defence. Leicester have conceded 42 goals (joint highest in the league), and individual errors have plagued their recent matches. Van Nistelrooy will likely bring in a full-back and possibly a centre-back. However, while the Foxes centre-backs have been below average in recent games, the club currently have four central defenders: Jannik Vestergaard, Conor Coady, Caleb Okoli, and Wout Faes. Whether Van Nistelrooy will keep faith in the experienced duo of Vestergaard and Coady or look to bring in a new face remains to be seen.
Getting a new full-back is the priority, with James Justin and Victor Kristiansen unimpressive this season. A centre-back who can play as a defensive full-back will likely be the kind of player Leicester’s recruitment team will target. Additionally, the club may look for a new winger, possibly on loan, due to Abdul Fatawu’s season-ending injury in November.
The way things are going, relegation seems imminent for the former Premier League champions. Leicester must be smart and swift with their recruitment to stay in the top flight.
