Leicester hold-up hints at Newcastle transfer thinking after Brendan Rodgers' quality prediction

Newcastle United do not have to look too far for inspiration. Leicester City have long proved that, yes, it is possible to upset the established order.

Whether it is winning trophies, playing in Europe, building a state of the art training facility, bringing through promising youngsters or generally recruiting smartly, the Foxes have shown what can be done. Eddie Howe, himself, has admitted that the 2016 title winners are a 'great club to look at with how they've invested their money'.

However, this summer looks set to be opposite number Brendan Rodgers' most challenging window yet at the King Power Stadium and Leicester are the only Premier League club to fail to make a single signing to date. While Leicester's issues present a potential opportunity, in closing the gap on the Foxes, they also serve as a warning to Newcastle, whose owners also have to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations.

Rodgers, himself, has stated there will be a 'different expectation' this season if he is unable to 'affect' the squad. Although there are still six weeks to go until the window shuts, Rodgers already knows it will not be possible to oversee the shake-up he wanted after originally planning to bring in five or six new faces.

A curiously mixed window last summer has contributed to that situation when, traditionally, Leicester are among the best in the business in that respect. It says it all that Leicester are open to offers for Boubakary Soumare, a former Newcastle target; Jannik Vestergaard; and Ryan Bertrand, who all joined the club just a year ago.

Given how Leicester did not sell a key player last summer - the Foxes previously balanced the books by letting N'Golo Kante (2016), Danny Drinkwater