Leicester City have given themselves the opportunity to strengthen their ranks by leaving one spot free in their Premier League squad.
Clubs resubmit their line-ups after the January transfer window and City have only filled 24 of their 25 permitted spaces. That means, should they wish, they can sign a free agent and register them to play in their fight for survival.
Signing a free agent mid-season is not all that common among Premier League sides, as there is usually a reason the players are without a club, and whether it’s because of age, injury or quality, that’s enough to stop them being good enough for the top flight. However, it does happen.
Last week, Fulham confirmed that they had re-signed Willian, the Brazilian a free agent after leaving Olympiacos in December. So, who is available and might be good enough for City? Here are three options…
Jason Denayer
The Belgium international was released by Al-Fateh in Saudi Arabia as the window was drawing to a close. He has a minor injury, one that will keep him out until the beginning of March, but needing an immediate replacement and at capacity on the number of foreign players in their squad, Denayer and Al-Fateh came to a mutual agreement to cancel the centre-back’s contract.
The 29-year-old has been in the Middle East for the past two-and-a-half years, but had four seasons as a regular at Lyon before that. And if there are doubts over the level he would have been playing at, he’s said this week that the standard in the Saudi Arabia Pro League is as good as France’s Ligue 1.
Given their lack of clean sheets, a new centre-back would be welcome at City. But would Denayer improve on their current options? And would they be willing to bring in a player who is injured for the next month?
Mario Rui
After seven-and-a-half years at Napoli and one historic Serie A title, Portuguese left-back Rui departed the club on the eve of the January transfer window. There’s plenty of talk that the 33-year-old is now heading to MLS, but could he be convinced of a short stint in England first?
He’s not played this season after finding himself totally out of favour until Antonio Conte, and that may mean he would need time to find fitness. But he played 28 matches last term, while he was Napoli’s starting left-back as they won Serie A two seasons ago.
He’s an excellent passer of the ball and has always chipped in with plenty of assists. But after signing Woyo Coulibaly and with Ricardo Pereira on his way back, do City really need another full-back?
Samu Castillejo
Ruud van Nistelrooy wanted a winger in January and perhaps the best one out there now the window has closed is former Villarreal, AC Milan and Valencia man Castillejo. He was fired by Valencia last summer after they failed to reach a mutual agreement on the termination of his contract.
He spent last season on loan at Sassuolo in Italy, and while he didn’t register a goal or assist in 17 appearances, mostly as a substitute, he did rank highly in some key metrics in Serie A. His ball carries per 90 minutes were on a similar level to Christian Pulisic and Federico Chiesa, and if City are to sign a winger, that’s what they need, someone who can dribble the ball up the pitch in the way injured star Abdul Fatawu did.
But given he’s had so long without a club, the time it would take to get him up to speed may mean he would not be able to contribute that much until the end of the season. It feels more likely than not that City and van Nistelrooy will go with what they have.
