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The summer transfer window was, or at least seemed to be, a success for Leicester City. Each problem that Claude Puel had in his squad had appeared to have been solved.

Need an attacking right-back? Signed Ricardo Pereira. Missing a creative No.10? Signed James Maddison. Lost an Algerian winger? Signed Rachid Ghezzal. Defence a bit rusty? Signed Jonny Evans, Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu. Back-up goalie needed? Signed Danny Ward.

Some of those have enjoyed storming starts for Leicester. Maddison has already earned an England call-up. Not all of them, though, have had their desired impact. Some have not even played.

(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

Eight games into the Premier League season. Four wins, four defeats. Tenth place. That's enough, even as we just tip-toe into October, for fans to cast their eyes forward to January and the next transfer window.

Where, if anywhere, do Leicester need to strengthen? What gaps are already showing in the squad?

Goalkeepers

Leicester are pretty well-stocked in this department.

Kasper Schmeichel remains one of the best in the Premier League and, having signed a new contract, is going nowhere anytime soon.

Danny Ward showed in the Carabao Cup that he is a more-than-able back-up and challenger to the throne. Two clean sheets and three penalty saves in a shoot-out is not bad going.

Eldin Jakupovic is clearly now third choice and, understandably, a little cheesed-off after making just two Premier League appearances since joining from Hull last summer.

He’s a decent goalkeeper but do City really need him around? The club have always had a policy of wanting three first-team keepers around the place no matter what. But with impressive youngsters coming through, and with Puel’s strong youth policy, would it not make more sense to put some faith in them as a potential third-choice?

Daniel Iversen is a Denmark under-21 international and currently impressing on loan at Oldham. Viktor Johansson, who joined this summer, is a Swedish youth international too and has done well for the development squad. Max Bramley is decent too.

No more goalkeepers needed in January, then. Even if one goes out.

Full-back

Pereira, then. We all thought that his arrival would fill the need for an attacking full-back after it became clear that Danny Simpson was just a little bit too traditional.

It’s not quite worked out that way, though. Of the seven Premier League games Pereira has started, he’s been on the wing for four of them.

The last time he was at full-back was at Bournemouth where his thirst for adventure played a big role in Leicester being hammered.

Pereira is exciting. Don’t get that wrong. But he has not completely solved the right-back issue.

The central-midfielder-turned-centre-back-turned-makeshift-right-back Daniel Amartey is now first-choice there. Puel says that’s his position, too, no matter how square-pegged Amartey began the season. He’s improving but, again, hardly problem solved.

(Image: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images)

Simpson is part of the 25-man squad but the chances of him playing again are slim.

Perhaps this is why City have already been linked with a January move for a right-back in the form of Liverpool’s out-of-favour Nathaniel Clyne. Maybe he has the right balance of attack and defence.

On the other side, perhaps City might look to bring in another left-back with a view to Christian Fuchs’s departure in the summer when his contract expires.

Leicester already have the future England left-back in Ben Chilwell but the experience of Fuchs will be difficult to replace.

Callum Elder signed a new contract recently so perhaps they see enough in him to provide competition for Chilwell for next season and beyond.

Central defence

Ermmmm. Well. Leicester hauled in a full net of central defenders during their summer catch in the wriggling forms of Jonny Evans, Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu.

Only one of them – Evans – has featured in the Premier League. Benkovic has been sent out on loan to Celtic while Soyuncu is yet to play due to language issues and unconvincing performances for the development squad.

City do not need to sign any more. They have plenty. They just need to play.

Central midfield

Absolutely bursting with talent here. Wilfred Ndidi is one of the best ball-winners in Europe. Papy Mendy is – cliche alert – like a new signing. Vicente Iborra plays in his slippers. Adrien Silva has still not shown his best, but has pedigree, and Hamza Choudhury is the future. Matty James is recovering from injury.

There has been speculation that Silva could return to Sporting after being caught up in reports that saw him used as a bargaining chip in the club's presidential elections. That has since died down after the candidate who pledged to bring Silva back lost the vote.

No need for any new arrivals here. It would be good, though, if City could find a club for Andy King, who is currently languishing with the under-23s after failing to make the Premier League squad.

Wingers

Again, City have plenty of options out wide. Until the summer, anyway.

Maddison is now playing in a sort of wide role with Kelechi Iheanacho down the middle with Pereira on the other wing which leaves Demarai Gray, who is recovering well after injury, Rachid Ghezzal and Marc Albrighton as further options. That’s enough.

And that’s without the notion of recalling Harvey Barnes from his loan at West Brom as potential competition for Maddison or the wide options.

Striker

Of all the positions, this is probably the one where Leicester often look a little short and where the fans are most concerned.

While Jamie Vardy is not in his most clinical form this season, he is still City’s main man in front of goal.

Iheanacho has started the season promisingly with two goals and three assists but there are still questions over whether he can carry Vardy’s mantle.

Some supporters would like to see a more physical striker in the squad, although Puel showed that is unlikely to be in his thinking having let both Leonardo Ulloa and Islam Slimani play their football elsewhere.

As Slimani and Ahmed Musa found, it is difficult for new strikers to settle at Leicester because – well, simply – they are just not Vardy. Vardy fit, Vardy play.

If City were to bolster an area, it could be here. Who, though, is another question entirely.

Leicester were linked with Danny Ings in the summer but the Liverpool striker joined Southampton on loan where he is currently Saints’ leading scorer with four goals.