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Leicester City Women transfer 'close' but doesn't meet squad's obvious need

Leicester City Women manager Amandine Miquel
-Credit:Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images


With just three goals scored in the first half of the Women’s Super League season, it feels obvious where Leicester City need help in the transfer market.

Yet, the deal they are “close” on, according to manager Amandine Miquel, is a new goalkeeper. A back-up to Janina Leitzig is sought after Lize Kop was sold to Tottenham last week.

That doesn’t mean that City are not on the hunt for a forward though. Miquel said last week: “If I can add offensive players because I think it will make a difference, I will.”

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Although, she perhaps sounded a little less confident this week. While a new striker would “definitely help”, Miquel added that she’s “not scared” if one doesn’t arrive.

In that case, City certainly need improvements up front. They’re currently on course to set a WSL record for the lowest number of goals scored in a 22-game season. Aston Villa’s tally of 13 in the 21-22 campaign is the current record, leaving City needing 11 goals in 11 games to surpass it.

While City have created the fewest number of chances and taken the fewest shots in the WSL, it is the case their finishing has let them down too. They have an expected goals tally of around 7, while they are averaging one goal every 25 shots.

It doesn’t help that last season’s top two scorers, Jutta Rantala and Lena Petermann, remain sidelined by injury. But if neither are going to be available any time soon, and there are no suggestions they are, then City really could do with an attacking boost in the market to ensure they avoid relegation.

How things compare at the halfway stage

The 1-0 defeat to Tottenham marked the halfway point of the season and while City are one point and one place above bottom spot and the relegation zone, they’re actually doing better at this stage than in two of their three previous WSL seasons.

Typically, City have been better in the second part of the campaign. In 21-22 and 22-23, their first two top-flight seasons, they had just three points at the midway stage, half what they have now. But they came on strong, in each of those seasons, finishing with 13 and 16 respectively.

Last term, they had 10 points at the halfway stage and performed only slightly more poorly in the second period to finish on 18. To keep up their streak of improving year on year, they need four wins and a draw in the second half of the campaign, which starts with this weekend's home clash against Liverpool.

One area where they do look like setting a new club best is in defence. They have conceded 14 goals so far. Their best seasonal record was last year, when they let in 45.