Leicester City supporters in the Transfer Tavern are very much looking forward to the 2018/19 Premier League season, what with their side seeking to improve upon their ninth place finish in the top-flight last time round.
Claude Puel’s men deserve credit for shaking off a testing start to eventually seal a top half finish in the top tier, although their form in 2018 was nothing special at all in winning just five of their 18 matches from the turn of the year. As such, the pressure was building on manager Puel as the season drew to a close, yet it appears like he will indeed be in charge for their opening match of the 2018/19 season, which sees them travel to Manchester United.
As such, there are many expectant Foxes supporters in the Tavern at present, several of whom are likely to be intrigued by recent reports linking Jordan Lukaku with a move to the King Power Stadium.
And with Christian Fuchs leaving the club in 12 months’ time, Puel will likely be on the lookout for his ideal long-term replacement for the Austria international, and he should look no further than the £6.3 million-rated star (as per Transfermarkt).
Ultimately, the man who appears to be in pole position to be Fuchs’ replacement is England Under-21 international Ben Chilwell, what with the 21-year-old earning 20 Premier League starts last term, and in fact staying ahead of Fuchs in the pecking order for much of the campaign.
And while there were signs of progression from the young defender, many of our resident Leicester fans feel that the 21-year-old is simply not good enough defensively to command the left back jersey, with too often Chilwell out of position and making the same mistakes over the course of the campaign.
In fact, some in the Tavern even called for Fuchs to remain ahead of him in the pecking order at times last season, but with the 32-year-old leaving the club at the end of the campaign, attentions must turn towards his long-term successor.
And Romelu’s brother Jordan should be that man.
The 23-year-old made the move to Italian giants Lazio back in 2016 after three years at Belgian side Oostende, and he has since gone on to appear 64 times for the Serie A outfit, 44 appearances of which came last term in their run to fifth place in the Italian top-flight, and the quarter finals of the Europa League.
And with immense pace and strength in the attacking third of the pitch, alongside reasonably solid defensive capabilities, it’s arguable that the Belgium international is indeed an upgrade on Chilwell and would give Puel even more dynamism in the final third of the pitch, which appears to be something he wants from his full backs.
As such, with Fuchs on his way out of the club in 12 months’ time, Puel should forget about Chilwell as his ideal long-term replacement for the Austrian, as Lukaku appears to be the man for that particular role.
Leicester fans… what do you think? Let us know!
