Leicester City could be set to lose another goalkeeper with Stoke City interested in a move for Daniel Iversen.
The Danish shot-stopper has started the season as second choice behind Danny Ward and has since been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium. Brendan Rodgers revealed in the summer that the duo can battle for the No.1 shirt following the departure of Kasper Schmeichel to Nice after 11 years at the club.
Schmeichel's exit came as a shock to many Foxes fans, with Ward replacing him in the sticks for their opening day clash at Brentford. The Wales international has been Leicester's first choice for their opening six Premier League matches of the campaign, with Iversen being left on the bench.
Now, The Sun have reported that Alex Neil is planning to reunite with Iversen and take him to Stoke in the January transfer window. The new Potters boss tried to sign Iversen during his time at Sunderland in the summer, but Leicester wanted to keep him.
But the Foxes might allow him to leave if Brendan Rodgers continues to prefer Ward in goal. Iversen wants to play regularly and could be tempted to join Neil at Stoke after the pair worked together for 18 months at Preston, with Iversen keeping 14 clean sheets in 54 matches last season as North End finished in mid-table.
Iversen was given a rare start for Leicester in the Carabao Cup last month and was the hero after saving three penalties in a shootout win at League Two side Stockport County. The Foxes were unable to breakdown a stubborn Hatters defence over the 90 minutes, despite the three-division divide between the two teams.
However, the Dane saved penalties from Kyle Wootton, Scott Quigley and Antoni Sarcevic as the Foxes booked their place in the next round of the competition, with Newport County their next opponents. They don't play the Exiles until November, though, so Iversen may have to wait another two months before he is next playing club football.
Rodgers was impressed with Iversen after their win over Stockport and admitted he is a 'very capable number two'. "I'm delighted for him," Rodgers told the BBC. "He's come in and done very well over pre-season, after being out of the club for a few years on loan. He's come back now, at 25 years of age, and he's more than capable.
"He's a fantastic guy. He trains well every day and I have no qualms about putting him in. Penalty situations present the chance to be the hero, and he certainly was that for us. He's back at the club, fighting to be the number one Danny Ward clearly is in there - but he's a very, very capable number two."
Some Leicester fans have called for Iversen to become Leicester's No.1, with many unimpressed with Ward's start to the season. The latter didn't help himself in the Foxes' 5-2 defeat at Brighton last time out, with Ward arguably at fault for the Seagulls' first two goals.
Likewise, Stoke have made a stuttering start to the season and currently sit 19th in the Championship after winning just two of their opening eight league matches. Jack Bonham has began the campaign as the Potters' goalkeeper but he made a glaring error for Reading's first goal in Stoke's last outing, with Lucas Joao pouncing to score.
This is one of the reasons why Neil is scouting Iversen and hopes to sign him in January, with the 25-year-old expected to become Stoke's first-choice stopper in the meantime. Neil took over at the Bet365 Stadium last month after leaving Sunderland, but has failed to win any of his first two matches in charge so far.
