Ruud van Nistelrooy sets out plan for Leicester City identity and summer transfer targets..
The manager spoke last week about the types of players he’d like to see the club focus on this summer transfer window as he looks to build a squad that meet his standards..
Robust players with the potential to develop should form the identity of the Leicester City squad and inform their summer transfer business, Ruud van Nistelrooy believes.
Rebuilding the squad in line with a Championship budget is one of the biggest tasks City face this summer, and van Nistelrooy, should he remain in charge, knows the kinds of players he wants.
The Dutchman has been reluctant to publicly share his full plan for how he believes City should move into the future, but has dropped some clues while he waits for the club to show him they’re on the same page.
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He’s previously said he would like homegrown talents to form the foundations of the squad, and has now revealed he would want young, physically strong players to be targeted in the transfer window.
Raising the standards has been a big topic in the camp during van Nistelrooy’s tenure and he said he has tried to make the team fitter since taking charge.
Going forward, he wants the club to bring in players who have the physical attributes to prosper.
“Together with the people here, there are so many possibilities to make things better and improve. That was one of them, of many.
“Talking about standards, that’s part of that. You can speak about diet, training intensity, strength and conditioning, all the programmes with the professionals we have here, it’s been something we’ve been working on.”
It remains to be seen if van Nistelrooy will lead the team in the Championship, and he cast doubt over that after City’s 2-0 win against Southampton.
But if he is kept on, he wants players that have the mentality and fitness to meet his standards.
“You need to be the fitter team,” he said. “Also in combination with recruitment, it’s important to get physically strong, robust players in, those at a certain age who can develop and have the mindset of what we’re trying to implement.
“That’s what part of our ID is that I shared in moving forward.”
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