Steve Cooper acknowledges Bilal El Khannouss transfer as Leicester City nears completion.

Leicester City manager Steve Cooper has acknowledged that a deal for Bilal El Khannouss is “in motion” as the attacking midfielder moves closer to a £20 million transfer from Genk to the King Power Stadium.

Although Cooper is typically reserved about transfers, he admitted that there’s little use in denying City’s pursuit of the 20-year-old.

While the deal is “not completed yet,” there is optimism within the club that it will be finalized before the transfer window closes at 11 p.m.

on Friday night. It could even be completed in time for El Khannouss to be registered ahead of the Aston Villa match, with the registration deadline set for midday on Friday.

“The process is definitely in motion; there’s no point in denying that,” Cooper stated during a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

“But it’s not complete, so I don’t want to speak too soon. It’s in motion, and we’ll let it be finalized first.”

Cooper emphasized the importance of having a mix of youth and experience in the squad, adding, “You want young players as well as experienced ones.

You need a blend, planning for the future while competing each week.”

He continued, “It’s common to add to the squad, especially when moving up a league.

But my main focus is on preparing for games and working with the players currently here.”

City is also looking to sign a striker before the deadline and has shown interest in Panathinaikos’s Fotis Ioannidis.

However, time is running out, and the deal could be costly, as an earlier bid exceeding £20 million was rejected.

When asked if he was still interested in signing a new forward, Cooper responded, “Every manager wants to strengthen all positions. We’re no different.”

He further explained, “We won’t sign players unless we believe they can contribute positively.

The players we’ve already signed are expected to improve the team and squad. We’re still working on it, even though the deadline is approaching.”

Much of City’s deadline-day activity could involve outgoing players.

Tom Cannon and Boubakary Soumare are both likely to leave, and there could be loan moves for young talents such as Ben Nelson, Will Alves, and Wanya Marcal.

Cooper said, “We have some excellent young players, and we need to make decisions about their futures. Playing time is crucial for their development.

As tough as it is to let them go, getting game time is essential. Sometimes I’ve loaned out players at a disadvantage to myself, but it’s all about their development.”

Regarding potential first-team departures, he added, “There’s always a chance first-team players could leave.

If a player clearly expresses a desire to leave, we’ll consider it. But that’s not the current situation—no player has indicated they want to leave.”

He concluded, “Is there significant interest in any first-team players at the moment? Not really. But that could change after this press conference.”