With Steve Cooper taking over as manager, Leicester City are starting to focus on strengthening their roster.
Leicester City’s summer has started tumultuously after losing promotion-winning manager Enzo Maresca to Chelsea and dealing with budgetary concerns related to Premier League spending regulations.
When you consider that star player Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is being heavily linked to a move to Chelsea to rejoin Maresca, you can understand why the initial thrill of promotion would have worn off soon.
But now that the first PSR deadline of June 30th has passed, the Foxes can concentrate on players to add to aid in their attempt to survive in the top division.
Steve Cooper appears to be aiming to accomplish just that, as seen by his interest in a defender who was a member of one of their Championship opponents the previous year.
Joe Rodon, defender for Tottenham Hotspur, is coveted by Leicester City.
Under Maresca, Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes both played excellent defense roles for Leicester, which led them to the Championship victory.
Nevertheless, Cooper lacks depth at center back beyond the two of them, and both are prone to errors.
Reinforcements are therefore required, and it appears that Leicester is attempting to address that, but they might be trailing another recently promoted team Ipswich Town in the process.
Journalist Alasdair Gold stated as much in a piece on “X”: “Understand that Ipswich has made a verbal offer to trade for Joe Rodon to the Spurs.” Nothing official or written has been submitted yet.
As I reported before, Leicester and Leeds are also after the Wales defender, who is currently abroad at a training camp ahead of the new season’.
Leicester target Rodon would provide steel at centre-back
Rodon was signed by Tottenham Hotspur from Swansea City in 2020 but has failed to ever nail down a starting place at the North London club.
The 26-year-old was impressive at Leeds United in the second tier last season as they narrowly missed out on promotion after losing in the Championship play-off final.
The Wales international is a very capable ball-playing centre-back but offers a toughness that perhaps Leicester’s current options lack.
Speaking on this last season after a win over Millwall, Leeds manager Daniel Farke said: “Millwall had pressure on the build-up, but obviously our last line of defence saved us several times and Joe belongs to that.
“Obviously he had to be there and with many clearances, they had an aerial threat which he dealt with and that led to him getting a little cut under his eyebrow.
“But he was willing to go back on and he showed a warrior mentality and this is exactly what you need if you want to be successful, especially in such a tough game. I think he was excellent.”
With Ipswich making the first move with a verbal approach for Rodon, Leicester may have to act swiftly to get their man this summer.
