AC Milan’s Alexis Saelemaekers is the latest name to be linked with a move to the King Power Stadium after he played with Victor Kristiansen during a loan spell last season.
Leicester City have reportedly placed a bid for AC Milan and Belgium winger Alexis Saelemaekers.
SportItalia report that City have shown their interest in the 25-year-old in the form of an opening offer that is not too far from Milan’s asking price. Reports elsewhere suggest the valuation is between €12m and €15m (£10-£12.5m).
Saelemaekers has been a Milan player for four-and-a-half years since arriving from Anderlecht, albeit he spent last term on loan at Bologna. Mostly operating on the left wing, in front of City’s Victor Kristiansen, Saelemaekers provided four goals and three assists to help Bologna qualify for the Champions League.
Like Kristiansen, it does not appear he is returning to the club after they changed managers this summer, meaning he’s now looking for a move elsewhere. As well as City, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich have been linked.
Saelemaekers has never been the most prolific of goal contributors, but he is full of running, and he is versatile. He is right-footed, but has spent an even amount of his career on the right and left flanks. He’s also spent time at full-back, and most of his 12 caps for Belgium have come as a wing-back.
Supposed interest in Saelemaekers is interesting for City, who are well-set for options out wide. The permanent signing of Abdul Fatawu means they now have five senior wide players in Steve Cooper’s squad, with Stephy Mavididi, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Kasey McAteer, and Wanya Marcal to choose from. Silko Thomas, winner of the club’s development squad player of the season, has also joined the first team in pre-season training, while Will Alves is another option out wide.
Interest in Juventus’s Matias Soule has been seen as City targeting somebody to play inside, in an attacking midfield role, where they are short of senior options. Soule has spent most of his career playing wide right, but did shuffle into central positions during his campaign on loan at Frosinone last term.
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