Wes Morgan, the Leicester City captain, sees his contract expire at the end of the current season, and any talks of an extension has been put off by manager Claude Puel. This does pose a problem for the club, as that leaves them with only Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu as their main centre-backs.
While Evans has been very injury-prone since his arrival, Soyuncu has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League, with just three Premier League starts to his name. This will add to Leicester City problems and even if they do offer Wes Morgan a new deal, the Jamaican centre-back is already 35 years old and won’t get any younger.
That being said, here are three replacements for Leicester City’s title-winning captain Wes Morgan.
The Burnley man has been absolutely solid since his arrival at the club, so much so that Liverpool were even looking at a possible move for him. While Tarkowski is 26 years old and would thus command a large transfer fee, a move would be feasible for Leicester City.
However, more so for Leicester City, Burnley are just above the relegation zone and need to be at the best to stay in the Premier League. If they don’t, then like Leicester City did last season for Jonny Evans, they can potentially acquire Tarkowski at a cheaper rate, which would be worth their effort.
A versatile star, Tarkowski can play as either a centre-back or a defensive midfielder, which should make him a great signing for Claude Puel and his team. That combined with his experience in the Premier League and Europa League further would make him worth the money.
A former Liverpool youth star, Conor Coady has finally found a home for himself at Wolves after a failed move to Huddersfield. Since joining Wolves in 2015, the 25-year-old centre-back has been a key part of Nuno Espirito Santo’s team, even becoming the club captain.
However, with promotion to the Premier League many believed that Wolves might struggle, but with Coady in their back-line, that statement has gone exactly the opposite. At the moment, the Midlands outfit sees themselves in the running for a Europa League spot and Coady has been at the centre of all good things for his side.
While it’ll be tough for Leicester to sign him, if they do manage to convince the 25-year-old Englishman to make the switch, then not only will they be able to replace Wes Morgan but also his presence on the field.
One of the main reasons why Coady was made captain is the fact that despite his age, the centre-back leads his team from the front and is a vocal presence in the dressing room.
Unlike Burnley who are just above the relegation zone, VfB Stuttgart are in the relegation zone, although they are just three points from safety. However, despite all that, there have been a few bright sparks amid Stuttgart’s disastrous campaign.
Timo Baumgartl has been a rock in Stuttgart’s struggling back-line and despite all the pressure; the German international has never looked out of place. In fact, if anything, Baumgartl has looked brilliant, composed and even cool during pressure situations.
The 22-year-old centre-back would be a brilliant choice for Leicester City and given the fact that 15th place Augsburg have endured an upturn in form, things could get worse for Stuttgart. That does mean that any move for Baumgartl would become cheaper if Stuttgart ends up getting relegated.
