Where the club’s priorities lie as Ruud van Nistelrooy heads into his first transfer window as City manager and with new recruits needed to aid their relegation battle

The January transfer window is officially open and Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has the chance to strengthen his squad for the first time.

The Dutchman has spent his first month in charge analysing the players at his disposal, working out what he feels City are missing and which positions need upgrading. Here’s a rundown of five positions the club could do this month.

At the halfway stage in the Premier League season, City have conceded the joint-highest number of goals and kept the joint-fewest number of clean sheets. Structurally they can be better, but it would also help their defensive record if they brought in a commanding new centre-back.

That seems to be the number one priority for the club this window. Van Nistelrooy has publicly expressed his happiness with his centre-back options, but the lack of changes in spite of the goals being conceded suggests he doesn’t see Wout Faes nor Caleb Okoli as potential starters.

Plenty of centre-backs have been linked to City, with Velez Sarsfield’s Valentin Gomez perhaps the most interesting name. The season in Argentina is over, he’s expressed his desire to continue his career in Europe, and is left-footed, giving City something they don’t currently have.

Full-back

Van Nistelrooy hasn’t changed his full-backs either since taking charge. With Ricardo Pereira injured until at least March, it feels like they are short of options, albeit van Nistelrooy has started to use Hamza Choudhury as a right-back substitute.