Manuel Pellegrini has hinted at a summer reshuffle, after blasting our backline as the reason why we are unable to become a top-half force, as per quotes by the Daily Mail.
The Chilean addressed our defensive record ahead of our trip to Tottenham on Saturday, as we have only managed to keep five clean sheets in the Premier League since he took charge.
We have also conceded 54 goals in 35 league games, which is the seventh-most of any side, and the same as 17th-placed Brighton and Hove Albion who are in a relegation dogfight.
As for clean sheets, only Fulham have kept fewer amid a season which has seen the Cottagers return to the Championship having let in an astonishing 76 goals – seven more than fellow relegated side Huddersfield.
If we are to move up the table, then, Pellegrini must improve those numbers next season, and he admitted such ahead of our venture to North London.
“It’s a season that we must improve on,” the boss said. “Not only in away games, but in the amount of goals we concede and the number of goals we want to score. It’s been a quiet season.
“The amount of goals we concede is too much. The second part of the season away from home we’ve conceded two goals in every game. It’s impossible to concede so many goals and try to win. We must be concerned about that, and we must improve our concentration.”
If Pellegrini cannot see our numbers improving with a centre-back partnership of Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, Mario Husillos may have to hit the market once more to find someone who will meet the boss’ demands.
Alaves’ ace Guillermo Maripan has regularly been touted as one of our top summer targets, with claims that he could be on offer for €25million (£21.5m) via a release clause.
The Chilean defender has been in stunning form for the La Liga outfit this season, and six of his side’s eight clean sheets have come when the 24-year-old has been on the field – including a 1-0 win against Real Madrid.
