Two factors that could stop City diving into transfer market

LEICESTER City’s January business will be hampered by the availability of their transfer targets, Brendan Rodgers has made clear after the window reopened.

City are able to dip into the market over the next few weeks, but Rodgers said the high-quality players the club would need to improve their squad are not easy to sign in the winter window, particularly in a season where clubs have been hit financially. Those two factors – the unavailability of targets and lack of spending power – make an arrival unlikely, albeit Rodgers has said he knows where he wants to strengthen.

While he did not specify the position he is targeting, he indicated last summer that bringing in a new forward was something he hoped to do if finances allowed it.

Speaking after City’s 2-1 win over Newcastle on Sunday, Rodgers said: “I think the reality for a team like ourselves, like most teams I’ve got to say, is that there won’t be a lot of finances around, with where the game is at.

“There might be one or two going out. If there is a possibility of one coming in, we know we want to strengthen and we know where we want to strengthen, but that might be really difficult for us in January, because of the availability of the type of player we need to improve us, and of course, finances.

“If I have the same squad, I’ll be happy, then we’ll wait until the summer to improve.

“I think the players coming back who have been out for a period of time will give us a freshness and will keep us really competitive until the end of the season.”

Several players could be heading for the exit door this month.

Demarai Gray and Islam Slimani look unlikely to have futures at the club, and may leave before their contracts expire in the summer.

Rodgers has also suggested Hamza Choudhury’s future will be assessed this month as he seeks more game-time.