With Wout Faes’ recent loan move to Monaco, Leicester’s centre-back options have once again reduced. This summer also saw Conor Coady exit for Wrexham, which means Marti Cifuentes currently only has Caleb Okoli, Jannik Vestergaard and Ben Nelson to choose from. Harry Souttar is still out due to injury, and has been since December 2024. Therefore, with Owynn Palmer Atkin reporting that City could look into the market or promote from the academy, here are the viable options.
Assessing Leicester Centre-Back Options Following Wout Faes Move
Evaluating Buying A New Centre-Back
When looking for a new centre-back, it’s important to look at the Foxes’ style of play and current options. In terms of what is expected of a Cifuentes centre-back, they need to be good on the ball and progressive. Evidence to suggest this is City ranking in the top five of the Championship for passes per sequence and total build-ups. Having someone who can break lines and dictate games is incredibly important to the system.
In addition, a recovery pace would also be needed if Cifuentes wanted to revert to a higher line. With players like Jannik Vestergaard, this option isn’t always on, as he and Luke Thomas can be targets for sides looking to get in behind. By recruiting someone who is adept at covering large spaces, Leicester may be able to play a brand of football closer to the Spaniard’s desires.
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Due to the quality of Caleb Okoli, Ben Nelson and Vestergaard, it’s unlikely that Leicester will look to bring in a top centre-back. Having too much competition could stifle the two younger defenders’ development, whilst the Dane has been relied upon plenty of times this season. Furthermore, with Souttar returning in the future, this option needs to be a backup. As a result, a loan could be plausible, especially given the club’s weak financial position.
Promote Through The Academy
In contrast, looking into the academy is also an option. The under-21 side currently sits sixth in Premier League 2 and has kept three clean sheets this season. The good run of performances even led to player of the month nominations for centre-back partners Kevon Gray and Mirsad Ali. Ali is a more diminutive figure who mostly features at left-back, but has stood in more centrally. He is a more experienced figure and someone who impressed at an even younger age when he featured for England under-17s.
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Meanwhile, Gray is 18-years-old and broke into the under-21s last season after constantly impressing. His athleticism allows him to play in a higher line, and he has the height to be comfortable aerially when soaking up pressure. In terms of on the ball, he has a great passing range, with three assists already this season. What makes Gray such a unique profile is these traits going forward, as he has also scored two goals, one of which was outside the box and with his left foot. It’s clear Leicester rate him as he trained with the first team back in September.
Outside of them, there is also Bobby Amartey, who has been a part of the under-21 since age 17, and plays for Ghana at youth level. Reiss Khela is another talent emerging, who, like Gray has recently made the step up to the club’s top academy side. He will be looking to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Brandon, who is currently in League One with Peterborough.
In terms of options trialled in pre-season, Bade Aluko looked more than comfortable when he played centrally. His athleticism and technical qualities stood out, especially as he assisted a goal for Louis Page. If Leicester don’t want to look into the market, using Aluko as a centre-back could be a great way of giving the 19-year-old more experience. Tom Wilson Brown at Swindon Town in League Two would also be a reliable option. The left-footed centre-back recently returned from injury after an excellent start to the season. He played 18 times, and manager Ian Holloway went as far as to say: ” I’m not sure there’s a better centre-half in any academy, anywhere.” Whilst recalling him now may not be plausible, next season could be his chance to join the first team.
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IMAGO / Sports Press
