Leicester City told to use STRONG relationship with Man City to sign impressive 19-year old star who’s an upgrade to James Justin as Pep prepared to let star man join the Foxes.
Manchester City are prepared to send Valentin Barco on loan to Leicester City if they sign him from Boca Juniors, according to Alan Nixon.
This isn’t a surprise considering the pair seem to enjoy a productive relationship, with former Man City assistant and current Leicester boss Enzo Maresca being key to that.
James McAtee was linked with a summer switch to the King Power Stadium, with Pep Guardiola giving the Foxes permission to talk to the player ahead of a potential temporary switch to the Midlands.
Even though he moved to Sheffield United in the end, it seems as though the player dug his heels in to make sure this Bramall Lane return happened and if it was 100% up to City, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see him move to Leicester.
The move that did materialise was Callum Doyle’s loan switch, with Leicester likely to have fought off plenty of interest in the young defender to get a deal over the line following his bright spell at Coventry City.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if this relationship between City and the Foxes played a crucial part in this loan deal.
How has Callum Doyle got on at Leicester City so far?
Unfortunately for Doyle, he has been limited to just 10 competitive appearances so far this season due to a knee injury.
He sustained this injury against Bristol City, being taken off at half-time and being seen in a knee brace when he left the stadium.
Not only was he in a knee brace, but he was also on crutches and this sparked fears that he would be out for a while. And it was confirmed during the latter stages of September, a short while after the game against the Robins, that he would spend around 12 to 16 weeks on the sidelines.
When he returns to fitness, he’s likely to be a regular starter considering he’s a natural left-footer and did reasonably well during the early stages of his time at the King Power Stadium, arguably playing a considerable part in Maresca’s side despite spending much of the campaign out injured.
He did look slightly vulnerable in transition against an energetic Hull City side – but that hasn’t been a reflection of his loan spell overall.
Many fans are keen to see him back in action as quickly as possible – and it seems as though he isn’t too far away from returning. And he may only be three weeks away from being back in full training, which can only be good news for Maresca.
What action should Leicester City take on Callum Doyle now?
It’s already a risk making a permanent move for a player who has recently had a serious knee injury.
Knee injuries can end some players’ careers and there are no guarantees that Doyle will come back the same player, but many footballers have managed to recover and thrive before.
And at 20, the defender should be able to return and continue to develop.
He may have a short period of time to make an impact in games before the January transfer window opens – and during that period – Maresca and his coaches will be able to assess his performance levels and how he’s managed to recover from his injury issues.
If he performs reasonably well, Leicester should be thinking about making a permanent offer for Doyle in January.
Although he’s still young and could make it at the Etihad Stadium, the player is 20 now and may be keen to get first-team football and settle down somewhere for the long term.
,He may only be able to do that by sealing a permanent exit from Guardiola’s side and with Barco potentially coming in at the Etihad as a left-back option, the Premier League giants may be willing to sanction a departure for the Englishman.
Doyle can also operate as a centre-back, but City may be reluctant to give him too many opportunities in either position as they look to retain their dominance of English football.
His versatility could be very useful for the Foxes who are arguably in need of strengthening both positions, especially if Harry Souttar leaves.
That has to be seen as a possibility considering how little the Australian has played this season, despite being a regular member of Maresca’s matchday squads.
Not only will his versatility be useful, but also the fact he is young and will only get better.
This could make him expensive, but his injury may lower his valuation slightly and with the Foxes generating plenty of money from sales in the summer, they should pounce to sign Doyle permanently if possible.