Wolves have the chance to bring in some new faces when the summer transfer window opens for business

Wolves need to ensure that they get their recruitment right this summer. The Midlands outfit look well on their way to relegation to the Championship. Therefore, they will need to sign players in the next window who are capable of getting them out of the second tier at the first time of asking.

Rob Edwards’ side have won only once in the league this season. They are rock bottom of the Premier League table and are inside the drop zone with Burnley and West Ham. Nevertheless, they remain in the FA Cup and beat Grimsby Town 1-0 at Blundell Park over the weekend to progress to the fifth round.

Wolves should target Leicester City loan star Jordan James

Wolves are likely to lose key midfielders like Joao Gomes and Andre when this campaign is over. Therefore, they should target Leicester City loan star Jordan James. At the age of 21, he has bags of potential and would be a shrewd long-term addition.

James, who is a Wales international with 25 caps to his name, has been a key player for the Foxes since his temporary switch from Rennes last year. He has made 23 appearances in the league during his time at the King Power Stadium so far and has chipped in with three assisst. His contract with his parent club expires in June 2028.

The Hereford-born man would be a solid addition for Wolves if they managed to lure him to Molineux. He has genuine quality and has proved himself at Leicester over recent months. The prospect has also shown that he knows where the back of the net is.

Jordan James catching the eye at Leicester City

Leicester landed James following their relegation from the top flight. He rose up through Birmingham City’s academy and was a regular at various different youth levels before breaking into their first-team as a teenager. He played 105 games for the Blues and scored eight goals.

His emergence into their senior set-up resulted in Rennes luring him over to France in 2024. However, things haven’t worked out for him in Ligue 1, hence why he was allowed to leave for the Foxes. His long-term situation at Roazhon Park is up in the air right now which is something Wolves must capitalise on ahead of next term.

Ex-Rotherham United and Sheffield Wednesday defender Guy Branston has been impressed with James over recent times and has delivered his verdict, as per The Football League Paper (14.12.25, page 39): “The Welsh international was brilliant at Birmingham before they sold him to Rennes in August 2024. He’s been brilliant for Leicester since they got him on a season-long loan in the summer. That’s twice he’s proved himself in the Championship by the age of 21, so why couldn’t he do it in the Premier League? All the data says he could.”

He added: “If you’re a club struggling at that level – a Burnley or a Leeds or a West Ham – why wouldn’t you try and nick him for £10m or £15m? A goalscoring Championship midfielder for that price is an absolute steal.”

Jamaal Lascelles is one of three Leicester City players who will be buzzing with the news of Gary Rowett’s impending arrival as their new manager.

Leicester are under serious threat of relegation from the Championship this season after the failed appointment of former QPR boss Marti Cifuentes last summer.

Cifuentes was sacked last month with the Foxes in the bottom half of the second tier, while they were deducted six points on 5 February due to previous PSR breaches.

Andy King has overseen losses in all four of his games as interim boss, meaning Leicester have now failed to win a league match since 5 January, and are sitting 22nd in the Championship.

The Telegraph have now reported that Rowett is in advanced talks to take over as the Foxes’ new boss, and Football Insider have looked at three players who could be set to benefit from his arrival.

Stephy Mavididi

Mavididi was a key man for Leicester as they were promoted to the Premier League in 2023-24, while he put in some decent performances last season despite their relegation back to the Championship.

The 27-year-old has failed to replicate his previous form this term, with just two goals and one assist in 28 league appearances, which pales in comparison to fellow winger Abdul Fatawu’s total.

He clearly has the talent to be a real threat to Championship defences, but needs a manager who will play to his strengths and utilise counter-attacking tactics with his wide players.

Rowett has been known to deploy such methods in the past with the likes of Millwall and Oxford, and so his thoughts on how he wants Leicester to set up could really benefit Mavididi’s pace and trickery.

Jamaal Lascelles

Lascelles signed a contract until the end of the season at the King Power Stadium last month, bringing 12 years at Newcastle to an end.

He barely featured in the final 18 months of his long spell with the Magpies, but has already made two appearances for Leicester after returning to full fitness.

Rowett is a pragmatic manager who builds a solid defensive base before anything else, and so Lascelles could well be in line to start regularly under him, given his experience at the top level and impressive leadership qualities.

Asmir Begovic

Following a similar theme, veteran goalkeeper Begovic seems likely to be trusted by Rowett to keep his place between the sticks for the Foxes as the campaign draws to a close.

The 38-year-old stopper has experience in abundance, with over 400 appearances in English football to date, and has performed well for Leicester this season despite his age and their league position.

Jakub Stolarczyk has been dropped in recent weeks after committing three errors leading to goals in the first half of the season, with Begovic featuring in games against Birmingham and Southampton.

Rowett should see no reason not to trust the former Bosnian international keeper for the rest of the campaign, so Begovic does look set to carry on as Leicester’s number one for the foreseeable if he is hired.

Leicester City Football Club's handling of French-born defender Woyo Coulibaly is beginning to feel like a lost episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. It's the footballing equivalent of Larry David obsessing over an acquisition, a series of awkward misunderstandings and stubborn refusals that leave everyone involved wondering how a simple situation became so needlessly complicated.

Despite a starring turn at the recent Africa Cup of Nations (in spite of a dodgy red card later on), the Mali international appears to have no future at King Power Stadium. The Foxes have, questionably, even looked to cut ties with a player they never quite figured out how to use.

When considering Leicester's other options in the 26-year-old's role, the decision to disregard is astounding. It is clear that Larry would argue Luke Thomas is still socially distancing from his opponent!

Underutilised at Leicester City

Coulibaly was once viewed as a savvy acquisition from Parma: a versatile defender capable of steadying a backline and supplying attacking threat. Yet under various LCFC coaching regimes, he has been treated with a level of suspicion usually reserved for a guest who double-dips their chips at a party and goes over their allotment.

Returning to LE2 for the current run-in seemed the logical, 'pretty, pretty good' move to this outlet. The full back's energy and AFCON-honed sharpness would have been invaluable for a squad looking to retain its standing.

Instead, Leicester appear set to relinquish him for a low fee: a move that feels like a self-inflicted Larry-esque transfer market faux pas. ​The irony is thick: while Leicester prepare for a cut-price exit, the rest of Europe is waking up to the 'baller' in their midst.

What's next

Coulibaly's stock rose significantly in January, and the City hierarchy now find themselves in an unnecessary negotiation. Although, the organisation certainly requires funds and less outlay on the books. ​Teams across the continent are reportedly circling. Real Sociedad, Napoli and Wolfsburg are all reportedly keeping a watchful eye on the 26-year-old.

"Coulibaly has no future at Leicester City even though he has a contract with them until 2029. This should certainly please Sassuolo, who have started negotiations with the Championship side.The outlet further add the Italian club have already prepared an offer to buy him from Leicester City, without mentioning a figure.His performances for Mali at AFCON resulted in Napoli, VfL Wolfsburg, Real Sociedad and Marseille contacting his agent."

Most fascinatingly, Sassuolo (who previously seemed ready to terminate terms loanee's tenure early due to a perceived 'lack of trust') have performed a dramatic U-turn. Impressed by his form, black and greens gaffer Fabio Grosso is now reportedly pushing the Italian club to secure Coulibaly on a permanent deal.

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If you followed the game closely fifty years ago, you will of course remember Brian Little as an attacker up front at Aston Villa. Yesterday listening to , the former Leicester manager were their special guest.

Alan Birchenall have also had his episode on the show. He used to play alongside Alan Hudson at Chelsea. Alan Hudson is a lively character with blistering memory from his playing days far back. This time it was Brian Little entertaining us with special and great insight into his life in football.

In the start Little focused on his early days at Aston Villa. He mentioned former Leicester forward as a role model and mentor. Lochead giving advice and helping him understand the game as well as being there to see the development.

Brian Little played alongside Andy Lochhead at Aston Villa and also had Davie Gibson as a team mate. As we all know he had to retire in 1980, having knee problems, not really able to play anymore. He talked a lot about Ron Saunders as the ideal manager to follow. Saunders was in no way his favourite person, and he did not really enjoy all his managers views and doings, but said he was a genious and as a manager himself always had Saunders ability and work in his mind when building his own teams.

To get the insight from a man that made Leicester a better team and also getting them promoted to the Premier League for the first time. He made it clear that he had no choice when leaving Leicester, because to go back to Aston Villa and be there manager was nothing he could turn down.

He had been a player and a youth team coach at Aston Villa before and wanted that chance. He had to take a lot of abuse from Leicester fans, something he said he could understand, but had no regrets.

#OnThisDay in 1971, a 17-year-old Brian Little came on to make his Aston Villa debut in a 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers. #AVFC pic.twitter.com/l6Z6BaITnv

— Aston Villa Archive (@AvfcArchive) October 30, 2025

To listen to Brian Little telling us all how he managed his teams, made his mind on certain players and dealing with different aspects in a job like this.

He mentioned former Aston Villa chairman and owner with kind words, but was tired out by the commitment of his chairman. Doug Ellis was all over, not really interfearing in anything, but still a challenge to keep up with.

He did not mention the hierarchy at Leicester much, and had no issues with them. What we could read into it was that being a team manager at Aston Villa was a very challenging affair and in some burned Brian Little out.

He later was a manager at Stoke and of course that enganged Alan Hudson. A funny story about Brian Little and Stanley Matthews became a topic. Brian Little had a trial at Port Vale as a youngster and the man in charge was Stanley Matthews. He was at Stoke as a president when Little was appointed and said he remembered Little from his short time at Port Vale, as a young teenager, and had followed his career ever since. Brian Little had no idea and felt it as a great honour to get these words from such a great footballer and idol.

These interviews and talks are fantastic and very enjoyable if you like the good old days and still likes to listen to some of the top men in the English game back and that special time in English football.

​Leicester City's season has degenerated into an abominable stretch of form that now threatens their very status in the EFL Championship. The experiment with Marti Cifuentes ended in a cold dismissal last month. Club legend Andy King subsequently stepped into the breach, with heart, yet results have been disastrous. Under King's interim watch, these unreliable Foxes have looked just as rudderless.

LCFC have lost four consecutive matches; including a soul-crushing collapse from 3-0 up to lose 4-3 against Southampton at their King Power Stadium home. While neither man is solely responsible for the systemic failures on Filbert Way, it is painfully evident that neither was the right fit for a squad widely devoid of class and confidence.

Gary Rowett possibly tasked with quenching flames as Leicester City face Stoke City

With the East Midlands team now mired in the relegation zone following a six-point deduction, the Leicester board appears set to appoint Gary Rowett. Though perhaps not the 'ambitious' name some craved, Rowett's open-minded, defensive structural approach may be the ideal extinguisher for this short-term relegation firefight.

Baptism of fitness fire

As is often the case in footballing tragedies, injury concerns have intensified the misery. City's current plight is exacerbated by a staggering list of seven unavailable stars, a scenario that leaves the dugout looking increasingly thin and the treatment room jam-packed.

"In attack, Abdul Fatawu is set to be available, despite a “grumble” in his knee that saw him left out of the trip to St Mary’s."

​Ahead of the trip to Stoke, the Foxes received just one significant boost: Joe Aribo is available again after being ineligible against parent club Southampton. However, the list of absentees remains daunting: Jamaal Lascelles, Hamza Choudhury, Jordan James, Aaron Ramsey, Harry Souttar and Jannik Vestergaard are all sidelined.

Meanwhile, Bobby De Cordova-Reid serves the final game of his unnecessary ban. Though Abdul Fatawu apparently faces a late fitness test with a slight knee injury.

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