Highly rated Leicester City centre-back academy graduate tipped to star | OneFootball

Ben Nelson is a hot commodity for Leicester City, A tall, strong, and aerially sound central defender that offers the Foxes a glimpse of the future with the bright stars coming out of Seagrave. A litany of talented players in myriad positions: they simply need the right guidance and opportunities to play to make that a reality.

Expert in all things LCFC Jordan Blackwell believes the Foxes will see Nelson in the starting line-up - or at least in the team - during their Championship campaign. Leicester will undoubtedly need to use promoted talent to fill out spaces in their squad, should the EFL impose either a transfer ban, or only a small budget is afforded whoever the eventual manager is (myself I am hoping we stick with Ruud van Nistelrooy).

Leicester City’s future defensive stars

Beyond signing new players from other clubs, the Dutchman would be wise to use Nelson. If you compare the Englishman with his likely partner in the Championship - Caleb Okoli - you can see where a possible defensive dynamic could come from.

Okoli passes more - but this could simply be due to our structure - whereas Nelson excels at the most critical defensive elements: the player clears the ball plenty, makes more interceptions than Okoli, and attempts more progressive movement. The Italian is a retentive player who is positionally aware, where Nelson is a more progressive player who challenges in the air, drives forwards, and passes longer.

The only weakness to the Englishman’s game would be his positional awareness. Realistically though, there is plenty of time for the player to develop this side and improve. For now, this academy graduate would be more consistent than Wout Faes, not cost as much as Conor Coady or Jannik Vestergaard, and the promising growth of the player offers a chance for a much better player down the line.

The King Power Club has an immense task ahead of it. We expect plenty of players to leave the club, be sold, and for some their contracts are expiring. It is clear to anyone that Wout Faes will be one of those to leave, that Coady and Vestergaard are expensive, and with Harry Souttar injured during his loan spell at Sheffield United, Ben Nelson might be our best bet.