With a sizeable squad reducing chances for young players, adding new faces may not be a priority at Leicester City this January.
Instead, there will be an emphasis on trimming the group and possibly generating some funds through sales that will help the club comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules.
But the club won’t turn down opportunities to significantly bolster their side should top-quality players become available on loan.
There’s no restriction on the number of loan players a club can have, aside from the usual 25-man squad maximum, but teams are only permitted five loan players in their matchday squad.
With Jordan James, Aaron Ramsey and Julian Carranza already at the club, that perhaps limits City to two recruits in January. Here’s a look at the areas they may want to reinforce.
Striker:
As we approach late November, City’s three strikers have combined for just two goals, and only one from open play.
In fact, their most effective forward right now may be Patson Daka, despite the Zambian being on a run of 38 City matches without scoring.
If none of the trio hit form before then, it feels like a new striker would be a major lift for City.
It doesn’t seem too much to expect to find a forward who can press as intensely as Daka does, but also pose a real danger in the penalty area.
Attacking midfielder:
Depending on the extent of Ramsey’s injury, a new attacking midfielder could assist City.
The early assessment is that Ramsey won’t be back in action until the end of December, but even then the club will have to be cautious with him. Recurring injuries after an ACL tear, as Ramsey suffered 18 months ago, are fairly common.
City have Bobby De Cordova-Reid, who Cifuentes also views as a number 10, and he improved the team massively when he came on as a substitute against Norwich.
But the Jamaican can’t feature for 90 minutes every game. So if Ramsey’s injury turns out to be more serious or he struggles to regain fitness, City will need an option besides De Cordova-Reid.
They arguably have some within their ranks already, but there’s plenty of proof that James is better suited as a number eight, rather than as a link-up player in advanced pockets, while Cifuentes also considers Louis Page to be more of a box-to-box midfielder.
Centre-back:
At the moment, City do not require a new centre-back. But with potential departures and loans out, it may be an area they need to consider strengthening.
Wout Faes, with the World Cup approaching and no realistic chance of breaking into the Belgium squad while playing in the Championship, is a strong candidate to move on in January.
Harry Souttar is unproven after a year out and may want assurances of consistent game-time so he can prove himself and try to earn a place in the Australia squad, possibly pointing towards a loan.
Fortunately, Ben Nelson’s ankle issue is not severe, but City may still feel they need cover for him, Jannik Vestergaard and Caleb Okoli if Faes and Souttar leave.
Left-back:
With Victor Kristiansen sidelined following knee surgery, Luke Thomas is the only senior left-back available.
City have several players who can deputise there. Ricardo Pereira or Hamza Choudhury could shift across if required, while Faes, if he stays, has operated there previously.
There’s also Bade Aluko, who can play across the defence but spent the majority of last season at left-back for the Under-21s.
However, if Cifuentes feels uneasy with any of those alternatives, he may request that the club look to bring in direct competition for Thomas.