Leicester City keeper transfer as Dean Smith bids for shared target

Danny Ward has also dropped down the pecking order under Maresca and, like Iversen, has not played a single minute of football for City under the new manager. He’s been urged by Wales boss Rob Page to get out and get football to build form ahead of the country’s Euro 2024 play-offs in March, and links to Sheffield United and Cardiff have arisen. But it may not be as simple as letting him go to whoever formalises their interest.If Ward goes, City are down to two senior goalkeepers in Mads Hermansen and Jakub Stolarczyk. Alex Smithies, who was not registered in the squad for the first half of the season, was reported injured in the summer and has not been seen since.Are two senior goalkeepers enough for the second half of the season? Given Ward has not played any minutes this season, the answer seems like a yes. But there have been times where he’s been needed on the bench.

Hermansen was injured for the second game of the campaign, and he the Dane missed the weekend’s game at Millwall through mild illness, albeit he did travel. Had Stolarczyk then got injured in either of those games, or been sent off, Ward would have been needed.

City could call upon one of their development squad goalkeepers to fill in as third choice if necessary, but they don’t have the same level of experience. Maresca is not giving away City’s intentions, and says it’s a case of crossing the bridge when it comes.

Asked if he would let Ward go and leave himself with two senior goalkeepers, Maresca said: “We’ll see. In the moment we receive anything for Wardy, we decide. But in this moment, I’m not thinking about if we are okay with Mads and Jak, or whether we need Wardy. In the moment we receive anything, if we receive, we’re going to decide.”

Former City boss Smith bids for Gronbaek

One of the standout names City had been linked to ahead of the January transfer window was Bodo/Glimt’s Danish youth international Albert Gronbaek. The 22-year-old, who plays as an attacking midfielder or out wide, had a terrific 2023 both in Norway’s domestic competitions and in the Europa Conference League.

City were linked with Gronbaek back in November along with Galatasaray, Napoli, and MLS outfit Charlotte FC. And the US club have now made their move. According to the Athletic, they have made an offer of $9.5million (£7.5m) for Gronbaek, which if it goes through would be Bodo/Glimt’s record sale

Interestingly, if Gronbaek does make the switch, he will be playing for former City boss Dean Smith, who was appointed at Charlotte a few weeks ago ahead of the 2024 MLS campaign. And there are more City connections there too with former their former assistant manager Steve Walsh acting as a special advisor, and with title-winning left-back Christian Fuchs working as a coach.

Six academy grads in one game

Thanks to the rotation by Maresca for the FA Cup tie at Millwall at the weekend, six of the 13 players to feature were graduates from City’s academy: Jakub Stolarczyk, Ben Nelson, Hamza Choudhury, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Wanya Marcal, and Tawanda Maswanhise. Four of the six, including debutant Maswanhise joined the club at under-nine level.

That now takes the total number of academy players used this season to seven, with Kasey McAteer involved as well, and it’s likely to be eight before the campaign is out with Maresca a big fan of Will Alves.

The number of local lads involved means it’s unlikely that City’s streak of having at least one academy player in every senior matchday squad will end soon. The run is now up to 257 games, starting more than five years ago.