It’s that time of the year; speculation, fake rumours and constant talk. However, this year City have kept everything very watertight, with next to no news coming out surrounding incomings or even outgoings. As much as you might worry we are leaving it late, I can almost assure you the team are working hard every day to bring players in and incomings are closer than you may think. I thought as there is no news I’d do a ‘Potential Loan Signings’ article but please take this with a pinch of salt. I have heard nothing about these players but I’ve spent a few hours researching some that may fit our profile, however, it is unlikely we will see them at Sincil Bank next season.
Ben Knight
Ben Knight is a young Manchester City prospect, who has been on their books since 2018. Knight signed for City, from Ipswich Town in 2018 for a fee of around £500,000 according to quite a few posts on social media. He has done well for Manchester City’s youth sides and made his first-team debut in the Community Shield final at Wembley, replacing Ferran Torres in the 74th minute. Manchester City fans have high hopes for the youngster as does Pep Guardiola, who let the 19-year-old train with the first team on multiple occasions.
He made the move to Crewe Alexandra on loan at the start of last season, impressing in his first few games but he, unfortunately, suffered a foot injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. Crewe fans claimed that they missed him in the weeks after his injury, he may not have kept them up on his own but if he had been available they may have picked up a few more points.
That injury may mean he needs to spend another season in League One to gain some more experience before a Championship move. The development of Morgan Rogers and Lewis Fiorini at Sincil Bank may be a deciding factor for both player and club, if we were interested (but that also stands for any Manchester City youngster). He is a versatile attacker, being able to play on the right side and both as a striker and behind the striker.
If we are looking to take another youngster from Manchester City, then Knight may be the man we go for, and the signs look promising from his early career.
Luke Cundle
Luke Cundle is a 20-year-old midfielder at Wolves, who has been at the club for his whole career. If we managed to get the youngster, it would be an excellent and ambitious capture. He has started two Premier League games for Wolves, featuring in four overall. He played 84 minutes in a two-nil victory away at Spurs and a full ninety in a 1-0 loss at Newcastle. On top of that, he has featured in the matchday squad in over half of Wolves Premier League fixtures this season. The capture would be similar to the one of Dan Nlundulu with high hopes from the parent club and with top-flight appearances under his belt.
Mark Kennedy also knows the player, having managed him briefly when he was caretaker manager of the Wolves under 23 team. Under Kennedy, it looks as if he played in both a number six role in front of a back-three and in a number ten role behind two strikers. As I alluded to earlier, it would certainly be ambitious but with our reputation with youngsters and Mark working with him before, it may not be impossible.
Jack Diamond
Jack Diamond is a player I’ve always liked the look of. I admit he may be a bit left-field but with Sunderland’s promotion, they may want him to experience a full season of League One football before making a decision on the attacker. He has had a successful spell in League Two with Harrogate Town, scoring thirteen times. Diamond joined the Sunderland academy at the age of fourteen and made his debut for the Black Cats on the 9th of October 2018 in the EFL Trophy.
Still, only at the age of twenty-two, and with 93 senior appearances, he could be a really good player for us, with perhaps a loan deal with a view of a permanent at the end. Diamond has featured against City before in the past, playing a crucial part in our 4-0 loss to Sunderland in 2020.
A well-known Sunderland journalist wrote an article about the attacker recently claiming that “In terms of next season, however, a good loan stint to a club where he will feature regularly in League One could prove to be the best option for all parties.” Could we be that club? Perhaps we could.
Callum Wright
Callum Wright spent last season at fellow League One club, Cheltenham Town impressing nearly every week. He is a versatile central midfielder, much like Bishop, and played 34 games last season, scoring nine and assisting five. Upon returning from Cheltenham, Leicester extended his deal by a year, with a view of him being sold or loaned again with both Championship and League One clubs wanting him.
With Conor McGrandles and Lewis Fiorini leaving and with the futures of Max Sanders, Lasse Sorensen and Liam Bridcutt unknown, Wright could be a really good fit for the football club. He spent his early youth career days with Tranmere Rovers, Everton and Blackburn before joining Leicester in February 2018. His only senior football experience has been with Cheltenham Town over the last eighteen months, where he helped the team lift the League Two trophy before re-joining the club on another loan in the summer.
Although Championship clubs are after him, we may be able to tempt the midfielder over to Lincolnshire, especially considering our reputation with younger players as a club. However with Luton’s interest in the midfielder, and their connection with Leicester this is probably too ambitious but who knows?
As I said at the beginning, please take this article with a pinch of salt as these are pure suggestions rather than real transfer links. Some of these are ambitious I’ll admit, but we’ve seen our recruitment team pull off some very ambitious loan deals in the past. As much as he failed to impress, at the time Dan Nlundulu was seen as a massive coup, so pulling someone such as Luke Cundle may be more likely than you think.