How Leicester squad and line-up could look like for the season opener with new recruits in place – TCF – FILBERT WAY

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Leicester need to reduce the wage bill and at the same time keep the quality needed to push for promotion. Seven players are gone, Jonny Evans is in talks over a new deal. Several players on heavy deals could be leaving as they all will trigger funds to use on new recruits.

Looking at the job done at Burnley last season, you need a copy / paste of that scenario, as they also changed manager and did the necessary changes to build a good squad and quality enough to get back up.

TCF predicts four sales to take place as sales will be done to fund new signing, one of them could be Tom Cairney, as a move from Fulham is said to be possible. We have listed the Fulham midfielder as cool, looking at the 32 year old as a very interesting player that could be valuable in a promotion push.

The job for a new manager is to build a team here and now that can produce what is needed, and not look at the future in the same way as before. Ryan Manning is a name that has occured as a possible player to add. He is a proven player at Championship level, but then a decision must be made regarding Victor Kristiansen and Luke Thomas, as all are contenders for the left back position.

Victor Kristiansen has said he is committed to the job of getting Leicester back to Premier League, but still doubts about his ability, and a new manager needs to decide on several issues in building a good quality squad for a promotion push.

Burnley last season made crucial moves in and out, as they also waved goodbye to players such as Nick Pope, Nathan Collins, Ben Mee, Erik Pieters, James Tarkowski, Wayne Hennessey, Dwight McNeill, Maxwell Cornet, Kevin Long and Ashley Westwood. Matt Lowton and Wout Weghorst were two experienced players loaned out, so in all 12 players from the Premier League relegation season left the club.

They did see potentially heavy fees lost as James Tarkowski and Ben Mee left on free transfers, but could add up good transfer fees for Nathan Collins, Dwight McNeill and Maxwell Cornet.

A core group was kept with players such as Ashley Barnes, Charlie Taylor, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Jay Rodrigues, Connor Roberts, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Josh Brownhill and Jack Cork among those to see continuity as well being part of the new project.

Shrewd loan moves made, adding Jordan Beyer (Gladbach), Ian Maatsen (Chelsea), Nathan Tella (Southampton) and Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Man City).

Burnley also invested in permanent signings such as Vitinho, Scott Twine, Samuel Bastien, Arijanet Muric, Josh Cullen, Manuel Benson and Anass Zoroury.

The job is to build a well balanced squad with a core group of 17 to 18 players fighting for a starting position and also have at least 4 more hungry young players being able to play if called up on. This is the formula going forward, as Leicester also needs to look at possible loan additions to avoid too many big money moves that are not certain first teamers.

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