Manchester United were so desperate to sign Harry Maguire this summer that they paid Leicester City £80m upfront to get the deal over the line.
The Red Devils were competing with rivals Manchester City to strike a deal for Maguire and it was United who eventually won the race by agreeing a deal which could rise to £85m with add-ons and bonuses.
According to The Telegraph, a huge £80m was paid in a lump sum, and Leicester are now preparing to spend some of that in the January transfer window.
Given Maguire left for United just three days before the closure on the summer transfer window, Brendan Rodgers' side did not have much time to find a replacement. They refused to pay high prices for either Bournemouth's Nathan Ake or Burnley's James Tarkowski, so ended up with no new faces.
Çağlar Söyüncü's development has almost been like a new signing, given the Turkey international's ineffective debut season in the Premier League, but Rodgers still wants somebody new to come in and compete with Jonny Evans and Wes Morgan for the remaining spot in defence.
It is thought that Leicester will reignite their interest in both Ake and Tarkowski, but they may also choose to pursue a cheaper move or even a loan deal to try and save money, as they are looking to bring in a few new signings.
In attack, Kelechi Iheanacho is likely to leave on loan after failing to make a single appearance in the Premier League this season, but his departure will only be authorised if they can recruit a replacement at an affordable price.
The Foxes currently sit third, behind just Liverpool and Manchester City in the standings, and Rodgers believes that this is only the beginning for his young group of players.
He said: “There’s no doubt we can get better, but you can’t wave the magic wand. It’s creating the mentality, creating the condition every day to work and improve.
“The players are doing that, the mentality is getting better and that is the exciting thing I have with this group, there is so much more to come from them.”
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Source : 90min