Sparking their January transfer window into life, Leicester City are reportedly set to welcome the first signing of the Ruud van Nistelrooy era in the form of a Serie A defender.
Leicester transfer news
A new era wouldn’t be truly underway without a first signing and it looks as though Van Nistelrooy is set to get exactly that in his first transfer window in charge at the King Power Stadium. Fresh faces are certainly needed too. The Foxes find themselves in a relegation fight and still adrift of safety in a troubled situation which could have been made so much worse if they had been hit with profit and sustainability charges.
For now, Leicester should take that result as the ultimate victory before moving on and celebrating further good news in the form of Van Nistelrooy’s first signing at the helm.
According to Sky Sports, Leicester have agreed a deal to sign Woyo Coulibaly in a move expected to be worth around £3m from Italian side Parma. The right-back is reportedly already in the country and undergoing his medical at the club, having bid farewell to the Parma fans on social media last weekend.
A much-needed defensive addition, Leicester will hope that Coulibaly instantly hits the ground running and provides competition for James Justin down the right-hand side.
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For just £3m too, the Foxes will be desperate to have landed a bargain deal and a player who could make all the difference in their battle to avoid the drop at the first time of asking since returning to the Premier League.
"Powerful" Coulibaly is an upgrade on Justin
Enduring a difficult season back in the top-flight, Justin now looks destined to lose his place to the arriving Coulibaly who should offer Van Nistelrooy an instant upgrade within his backline. Described as “powerful in his actions and attacking minded” by content creator Jacob Horsfall, the Frenchman must hit the ground running in the Midlands.
Justin’s failure should quickly become Coulibaly’s opportunity in the Premier League, handing him the chance to play a key role in what would be an impressive fightback from the bottom three to safety.
When compared, the Frenchman’s ability to create far exceeds Justin’s having completed more key passes and progressive carries throughout the current campaign. On the defensive front, meanwhile, Coulibaly has made more ball recoveries than his Leicester counterpart – as per FBref – to once again highlight the upgrade that Van Nistelrooy should be getting.
Fighting to keep hold of their top-flight status, welcoming Coulibaly is certainly a solid start for the Foxes.