Leicester City should deploy scouts to watch these 3 players this month | OneFootball

Highlights

Leicester City are looking certain for a return to the Premier League but could need a few acquisitions in January to help tighten their grip at the top of the table.

The Foxes currently sit top of the table after a busy summer, which saw a number of high-profile players make the move to the King Power Stadium despite their relegation to the Championship.

However, with half a season of football still to play, they should not be resting on their laurels and will want to continue to build Maresca's squad in the January window.

1 Joe Worrall

Nottingham Forest captain Joe Worrall is a player that Leicester should keep on their radar moving forward.

The Foxes were linked last month amid reports that the Reds captain had been sent to train away from the first team under former boss Steve Cooper.

Worrall has played just 439 minutes of Premier League football this season but he's proven himself at Championship level and was a regular in the top flight last term - playing 30 times for Forest.

It remains to be seen what new boss Nuno Espirito Santo has planned for the centre-back but he could be a shrewd addition for the Foxes, adding an experienced head to their backline, and a useful player to keep tabs on while there is speculation over Wout Faes' future.

2 Matias Arezo

With striker Kelechi Iheanacho receiving interest in January, Matias Areza could be the ideal replacement for Leicester to look at.

The Uruguayan striker has had a fantastic season on loan at CA Penarol this season, netting 22 times in 40 appearances for the Uruguayan club. He helped his club finish second in the Uruguayan Primera Division, before returning to parent club Granada in the new year.

Whether or not Arezo will be given a chance to play at Grenada remains to be seen, especially with the Spanish club currently battling relegation from La Liga.

However, he has shown in Uruguay that he can be a lethal striker so with the potential outgoing of Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy not getting any younger, he would be a good player for Leicester to take a look at in the January transfer window.

3 Pape Gueye

Having recently returned from a four-month ban from playing football, Marseille's Pape Gueye is one player that Leicester scouts should keep an eye on in January.

The Senegal midfielder is a highly-rated defensive midfielder who has been compared to Wilfred Ndidi in recent years. With Ndidi looking as though he could leave Leicester when his contract expires at the end of the season, and Barcelona reportedly interested, Gueye could be the perfect player to replace him.

Gueye is good with the ball at his feet but is also a great ball-winning midfielder. He completes an average of 1.4 tackles per match, higher than Ndidi this season at 1.3 tackles per match.

Spending last season on loan at Sevilla, he had more average passes per game than Ndidi this season (33.3 vs 25.1), showing how good he is with and without the ball. At the age of 24, he could be a long-term replacement for the Nigerian midfielder, but Leicester will need to be wary about his lack of playing time.

Gueye was suspended for four months in July, following FIFA's ruling that his move to Marseille was illegal, due to the pre-contract he signed with Watford in 2020. Leicester scouts will need to see how the four months out of action have affected the Nigerian, but he could be a good piece of business to replace Ndidi going forward.