Leicester City have suffered a massive blow after centre-back Wesley Fofana suffered an awful injury during the Foxes’ pre-season game against Villarreal.
The challenge by Fer Nino looked dangerous, and Fofana had to be stretchered away. It’s likely that Fofana will be out for a long time, so Leicester clearly need new defensive reinforcements.
The Foxes will also be without Jonny Evans until the international break in September. That only leaves them with Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu as the senior centre-backs.
We take a look at three centre-backs they should target before the summer transfer window closes:
#3 James Tarkowski
The Burnley centre-back has been linked with a move to Leicester City already, but the Foxes need to step up their interest in the defender.
Tarkowski is an old-school no-nonsense defender, and has a lot of Premier League games under his belt. A disciplined centre-back, he would be more than a decent replacement for Fofana.
The important thing is that Tarkowski has entered the final year of his contract at Burnley, so they will want to sell him rather than risk losing him for free next year.
#2 Ozan Kabak
Ozan Kabak spent the second half of last season on loan at Liverpool, and was impressive despite barely having any acclimatisation time with the Reds.
Unlike Tarkowski, Kabak is more of a modern-day centre-back, and likes playing out from the back. He made nine appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League, and has already played alongside Soyuncu for the Turkish national team.
Kabak will come cheap as Schalke are reportedly (h/t Goal) trying to offload him. At 21, he would be a smashing piece of business if Leicester City can get him for just £8.5 million.
#1 Nat Phillips
Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips impressed for the Reds in the second half of last season, but might struggle for playing time this season.
Jürgen Klopp has as many as four centre-backs to choose from as Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Joel Matip are back from their respective injuries. Ibrahima Konate has also joined the club, so Phillips is firmly behind the pecking order.
As per journalist Paul Gorst, Liverpool will not stand in Phillips’ way if he gets a good offer and wants to leave. The question is whether or not they will want to sell to a direct rival in Leicester City.
