Leicester City are looking to strengthen their goalkeeping department with the addition of experienced goalkeeper David Cornell.
The Foxes have endured a hugely underwhelming return to League One following last season’s relegation, with defensive issues remaining a cause for concern.
According to Pete O’Rourke, Leicester have opened talks with the 35-year-old, who left Championship side Preston North End this summer.
What Would Cornell Bring?
Making a move for a goalkeeper outside the transfer window is hardly ideal for any club, never mind a team like Leicester who are currently in the limelight for a variety of reasons. With experience and know-how needed in abundance, Welshman Cornell would help to bring that. Having begun his career with Swansea City, he featured in the Scottish Premiership with St Mirren, after a loan in his home country’s top division at Port Talbot Town.
Since then, Cornell got a full season of League Two action under his belt at Northampton Town in the 2018/19 campaign. After adding a further 34 appearances the following season, his action on the pitch has been few and far between this decade. A third-tier loan with Ipswich Town added 15 matches in the lockdown campaign, before featuring on 30 occasions for Peterborough United in the Championship.
However, after moving to Preston North End in 2022, he has played just 23 times in four years for the Lilywhites. His role, should he sign for the Foxes, would likely be further cover if Leicester’s rotten injury luck continued.
Why Do Leicester Need Another Goalkeeper?
While the East Midlands outfit have four goalkeepers on their books, only two are currently available for selection. Jakub Stolarczyk, who was their first-choice last term, was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign earlier this month after sustaining an ACL injury against Plymouth Argyle. Incidentally, he joins Ben Nelson as the second of Russell Martin’s squad to sustain a season-ending injury this term.
A day before Stolarczyk’s diagnosis was revealed, Leicester allowed young goalkeeper Stevie Bausor to join Slough Town on a month-long loan. The 21-year-old, who joined his Polish teammate in coming through the Foxes academy, was named alongside Stolarczyk in the matchday squad for their Carabao Cup triumph over Northampton Town in the first game of the season.
Alex McCarthy, who reunited with his former Southampton boss Martin this summer, started the third-tier season as first-choice goalkeeper. He missed the success over the Cobblers with a knock, before starting the Foxes’ first two matches of the league season. However, Stolarczyk regained his spot for the League Cup defeat at Ipswich Town, retaining his place in the side for the stalemate at Milton Keynes Dons at the end of August.
But there was yet more goalkeeping drama in the opening game of September, when the Polish shot-stopper was stretched off and replaced by the former Saints keeper. McCarthy has kept his place in the side since, though Leicester have conceded seven times in their past two matches against Oxford United and Stockport County. Franco Ravizzoli, also signed this summer, has appeared on the bench in those last two matches.
