Jordan Ayew will take Leicester City a step closer to achieving Steve Cooper’s transfer hope – albeit the manager admits his plan may not be completed this window.
Crystal Palace forward Ayew is on course to become the club’s seventh arrival of the summer with an £8m switch agreed, the Ghanaian bringing versatility and experience to the front-line. While he can play as a striker and as a number 10, he has principally been a winger in recent seasons, and that’s the position he would likely play at City.
In an ideal world, Ayew won’t be the last attacker they sign this month. A new striker and a new attacking midfielder are also desired, especially with Patson Daka ruled out for three months following ankle surgery.
If City were able to do all three deals, Cooper would then have the strength in depth in attack that he believes he has in his midfield. New £20m signing Oli Skipp means City now have five players to operate in the two deeper midfield roles, alongside Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi, Hamza Choudhury and Boubakary Soumare.
Cooper is satisfied with those numbers in midfield, and with the variety of his options. Now he wants that in every position, though admits it may not be possible.
“Now we have a nice variety and balance of midfield options,” Cooper said at his press conference on Thursday afternoon. “The Premier League demands everything of you, and sometimes a lot of different things even in one game. It’s always important to have the right strength in depth for what’s needed from game to game.
Leicester City manager Steve Cooper applauds the fans after the 1-1 draw with Tottenham
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“Skippy brings a calming influence in midfield and that can support our game well. We look forward to bringing him into the system. We have a nice balance in midfield now and it allows us to pick the right players for the right gameplans.
“(The attack) is definitely an area of the pitch that we’d like to add to. As it is in midfield, I want to be in that situation with every part of the pitch. With what we have at the moment, and with the injuries, it’s one of the areas we’d like to strengthen.”
But with time ticking and just a week remaining in the window, Cooper has some doubts that every deal he wants will get done. If that’s the case, he says he will throw his full support behind the players he has.
He added: “Every area we’d like to strengthen might not be done in this window. If it doesn’t happen, we’ve got maximum belief in these guys. That’s really important.
“I think we will add players, but if we don’t we’ll get on with it and we’ll commit to reaching our objectives. We’ve got a week left. Anybody that comes in will be adding to a fantastic spirit and a group of players who really want to succeed, and who really enjoy being at the football club.
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