Things to know about Leicester City transfer target Ollie Tanner | OneFootball

Ruud van Nistelrooy is under no delusions regarding the importance of getting this transfer window right. Yes, the King Power club must work within their means, but so too must they invest in key positions where they have been heavily weakened.

With injuries to our best players, a startlingly leaky defence, and a team unable to find the net. That is what must be plastered over during this short winter window. At this time, only Woyo Coulibaly has been signed. That gives us right-back depth, but it does not solve the issue of central defence or right wing.

Leicester City to fill one gap

Reports suggest the Foxes have registered their interest in Ollie Tanner. The 22-year-old right-sided winger from Cardiff City. This would help to offer cover at right-wing, where the injured Abdul Fatawu and the ever-creative Facundo Buonanotte are considered primary, with Kasey McAteer and Jordan Ayew treated as secondary options for either wing.

Having featured for Cardiff across 23 matches thus far, the player has achieved two goals and two assists. If you compare that to the Leicester City squad over their 22 fixtures, this places the winger in the top five: although it is a little distressing to consider a low return as evidently 'fine' by our current standards.

Stylistically, Tanner would offer the Dutchman a style similar to McAteer's. What I mean by this is Tanner is not necessarily this devastating forward cutting past defenders and scoring screamer goals, he is an all-round team player, involved both in transition and defence, sometimes being the one to finish the attack.

We can see this when comparing the winger to others in his position. Being in the 99th percentile for tackling quantity, 97th for interceptions attempted, 91st for aerial duels won, and 72nd for progressive carries. This paints a picture of a player who receives the ball from midfield or defence in a deep position - or wins the ball in their half - and then progresses the ball themselves rather than passing it on.

From a defensive standpoint, the player could offer a significant improvement in the number of bodies in the low block and the quality of the defensive actions taken on the wings of that block. One of the key errors made in the setup deployed by Nistelrooy has been the sacrifice of the wings for a narrow block without having sufficiently defensive talents to pressure at the right time.

Tanner would not be an expensive player to bring in. However, Cardiff City does need him, so the Foxes may have to part with more money than perhaps he is currently worth to secure the signature. Nevertheless, should Ruud van Nistelrooy be targeting this player, the club ought to invest.