Lookman seems the best of the summer recruits
WE LOOK AT THE FORM OF CITY’S FIVE NEW SIGNINGS
THE summer transfer window was Leicester City’s biggest ever for net spend.
While they may not have splashed the cash as much as in other years, they did not rake in a big fee for a star player as they have done recently.
And so with a net spend of around £45 million, there was a significant show of faith in Brendan Rodgers to push City on.
That, so far, has not happened. City have endured their worst start for four years with neither the results nor performances up to scratch.
Interestingly, none of the five players signed by City during the summer necessarily improved the club’s best starting 11, but what they did was provide depth.
City’s form over the past two years has shown that when they have a fit and firing side, they are capable of matching the top four – but when the injuries hit, they suffer.
Injury problems have continued into this season, but the new players have not been able to pick up the slack.
In City’s nine games across the Premier League and Europa League, they have won two. And in those two, there were no new signings in the starting line-ups.
Rodgers said last week: “What we’ve done is we’ve brought new players in who are adapting to how we work and we’ve got to get refocused again on what we want to be.”
Here’s a look at City’s summer signings and the impact they’ve made.
Patson Daka
Daka and Boubakary Soumare were City’s first two summer signings, and were immediately marked out as a pair for the future.
In a pre-season interview, Rodgers said: “Patson and Bouba, this is going to be a year of adaption for them. They’re going to be important players for us, but I’m relaxed on their development this coming season.”
Still, it was expected that Daka would feature more than he has given his outstanding goal tally for RB Salzburg last season and the success players from the Austrian club have had in better leagues.
While he has started both Europa League matches, he’s been given just one Premier League appearance, off the bench in the 4-1 defeat to West Ham.
That’s understandable in a sense given that his two main rivals for game-time at the club, Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho, are also the two players in the best form.
It seems patience will be required to see him more regularly.
Rodgers said at the end of last month: “Patson is a similar type to Jamie in that he wants to stretch the back-line.
“We’ve seen his finishing day in, day out, left foot, right foot, and once he’s adapted and has worked with us for longer, you’ll really see his qualities. You can see he’s a finisher.”
Boubakary Soumare
City have seen more of Soumare than Daka, but it feels like supporters have not quite seen the full range of ability he possesses, and that made him a highly-rated young star for France’s Ligue 1 winners Lille last season.
In his four starts, there have been moments in possession where he has shown his class, keeping it well under pressure.
But as Rodgers looks to change his game, making him a box-to-box player rather than a deep-lying playmaker, he has looked a little lost from time to time as to the specifics of the role.
So, again, patience may be required as he adjusts to Rodgers’ instructions, albeit he may drop back into a deeper role over the next few weeks as a potential candidate to fill in for the injured Wilfred Ndidi.
Ryan Bertrand
The former England international looked very promising in pre-season, defending stoutly while also combining really well with Harvey Barnes, setting up goals, and delivering teasing set-pieces.
Since the competitive matches started, that promise has not been followed up.
Bertrand was hampered by a bad case of Covid that saw him miss the first three Premier League fixtures, but since returning to the side, he has been guilty of cheap fouls and has not had the same connection with Barnes.
Jannik Vestergaard
The second defender signed from the Southampton side City beat 9-0 was Jannik Vestergaard.
On his first City start, against Manchester City, he was excellent.
He read the game brilliantly to defend the box, while he had a cool head to play out from the back.
Since then, with City reverting to the high line that Rodgers likes, it feels like he has struggled to press high and intercept, while has also found it difficult to chase attackers in behind.
In the six games he has started, City are yet to keep a clean sheet.
But Rodgers is insistent that he does fit the mould of a defender that works for his team.
“We brought him in because he can fit that profile,” Rodgers said at the end of last month.
“He’s not as quick as Wesley (Fofana), but if you look at where he’s come from, a team that presses the game, that is high up the pitch. He’s had to do that. He’s played in a national team that will press the game.
“That’s our game. We’ll either be pressing really aggressively, or we’re that bit lower.
“He might not be as quick as Cags (Soyuncu) or Wesley, but he can defend space, he’s not one that has to stay behind really deep, and then play out.
“He can build the game from behind, play through the lines, but when he’s up there… That’s such a key way to how we play. The back four determines the length of the pitch.
“That was one of my first actions coming here as manager, getting the back four to squeeze the pitch.
“He can do that, he’s played in teams, Monchengladbach, Southampton, they’re teams that are aggressive and on the front foot also, and he plays that way for Denmark.
“In terms of profile and fitting into it, that’s the reason we brought him here because he can do those fundamental principles of how we play.”
Ademola Lookman
He was the last through the door, but Lookman, above, has so far been the brightest of City’s summer recruits.
In every game he has played, he has been at least pretty decent, while he was brilliant off the bench at Brighton, his introduction sparking a turnaround in City’s form and nearly earning them a point.
He dribbles with intent, has very good close control, and makes runs into the box.
He’s been creative, and scored his first goal of the season in his first start in the Carabao Cup against Millwall.
He was so impressive against Burnley that his withdrawal saw Rodgers booed by the King Power crowd, while in a quieter performance against Crystal Palace, he still produced an outrageous piece of skill to bamboozle Tyrick Mitchell.
In a season so far troubling, he’s been one of the bright sparks.