Brendan Rodgers senses change as he seeks to build a stronger Leicester
The Foxes lost 2-1 on aggregate in the Europa Conference League semi-finals after Thursday’s defeat in Rome
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Your support makes all the difference.Boss Brendan Rodgers is prepared for a summer shake-up at Leicester City after their Europa Conference League exit.
The Foxes boss wants more goals after their semi-final loss to Roma on Thursday but insisted defeat did not dramatically alter his plans.
They lost 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico to bow out 2-1 on aggregate as Tammy Abraham’s header set up a final with Feyenoord.
Rodgers will now target reinforcements this summer to ensure the Foxes can challenge for Europe again.
“It is trying to keep hold of our core players and adding players who can come in and add to the team. It is more or less the same, I don’t think it is dramatic,” he said.
“The lads have been together for a period of time which is great so they learn and develop.
It is trying to keep hold of our core players and adding players who can come in and add to the team
“But you always need a freshness and a new hunger and new quality into the team, hopefully we can do that.
“I just think it is having more goals in the team all around. That is important.
“Any team needs to have goals from different areas of the field. That is definitely something we need to target in the summer.”
Youri Tielemans, who has a year left on his contract, could leave in the summer, especially with no European football next season.
But Rodgers concedes Thursday’s loss in Italy is too raw to know about some of his players’ futures yet.
“I don’t know. I think it is one certainly a lot of the players will have felt the joy and experience of playing nights like tonight in Europe,” he said.
“You see the likes of James Maddison, how good he has been over the two legs.
“He is a player with personality and quality and he deserves that opportunity.
“Hopefully the players will go away and feel the motivation from being in Europe and then we can really fight to be in a European position next season.”
Leicester host Everton in the Premier League on Sunday and, despite their league struggles this season, remain an attractive prospect.
“Absolutely. People see Leicester as a European club and a team that is going to be fighting towards the top end,” he said.
“I am pretty sure most teams outside of the top six would swap positions with us to be challenging for trophies the last couple of years and played European football.
“Unfortunately for us this year it has hurt us with the injuries but we will come back next year and rebuild with stronger depth to the squad and continue on that quest to disrupt the top clubs and I think we have done that really well.
“We will have a right go at doing that next season.”
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