Why Leicester City re-signing Liam Moore would be a smart move
Towards the end of October, a report from TeamTalk (h/t Leicestershire Live) had claimed that Leicester City were interested in bringing former academy graduate Liam Moore back to the King Power stadium after his impressive start to the campaign at Reading.
As per the source, Wolves, Newcastle, Southampton, West Ham and Crystal Palace were understood to be keeping tabs on the centre-back.
Profile
Liam Moore graduate from Leicester City’s academy and went on to make 67 appearances for the Foxes in all competitions, having made his debut against Crystal Palace back in January 2012.
The centre-back, who featured prominently in the club’s promotion-winning 2013-14 campaign in the second-tier, also spent time on loan at Bradford City, Brentford and Bristol City before sealing a permanent move to Reading in 2016.
Moore has gradually evolved into one of the best central defenders in the Championship over the course of his spell at the Madejski Stadium, featuring 195 times in all competitions for the Berkshire outfit.
Moore has started 13 out of Reading’s 15 league fixtures this season so far, with Veljko Paunovic’s side establishing themselves as one of the promotion chasers early in the campaign.
Moore would add more depth to the Foxes’ backline
Leicester roped in Wesley Fofana from Saint-Etienne in the summer to add more depth to their centre-back ranks and the French starlet has enjoyed a stunning start to his career in the East Midlands.
The 19-year-old has quickly established himself as a regular fixture at the back for Brendan Rodgers’ side, earning rave reviews for his instant impact in the Premier League.
Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu have retained their status as the mainstays of Leicester’s backline while Rodgers hasn’t hesitated to include 34-year-old Christian Fuchs and James Justin whenever he has opted for a back-three system.
With veteran Wes Morgan also competing for places, it’s clear that the Foxes presently have enough defensive cover. To that end, though, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Leicester to reshape their backline with one eye on the future.
Evans, though very much a regular starter, is yet to sign an extension on his current contract that expires next summer. Morgan, who is set to turn 37 in January, and Fuchs are also set to become free agents at the end of the season.
Putting things into context, Leicester need another readymade centre-back to ensure healthy competition for places in the coming seasons and a potential swoop for Liam Moore in January would make a lot of sense.
The 27-year-old has among the best-performing defenders in the Championship over the past three seasons and looks more than ready to make a return to the top-flight with his boyhood club.
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Verdict
Liam Moore isn’t a complete stranger to the Premier League, having made a handful of appearances for the Foxes in the top-flight earlier in his career. Honing his skills at Reading in the Championship has certainly made him a more complete defender.
He still potentially has his best years ahead of him at 27, thus making him more than worth a punt for the Foxes in the winter market.
