Having lost both midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and manager Enzo Maresca to Chelsea this summer and having been hamstrung by financial fair play rules, money is tight at the King Power ahead of their Premier League return under new boss Steve Cooper.
So far, they have added a new face in the shape of Caleb Okoli, who joined the club from Atalanta in a deal worth £12m.
“I think it was the right moment to make a different step forward and a very big one,” Okoli told club media. “I’m very happy with the choice I made, so I’m very excited to start in the Premier League.
“Leicester is a beautiful club, an important club and the two combined together, so I took this opportunity to come and express myself in the Premier League. The Premier League is the best league in the world.”
They have also signed Bobby De Cordova-Reid on a free transfer, and have signed Chelsea youth prospect Michael Golding as they look to build towards the present and the future, while Cooper’s side will be boosted by the news that Wilfred Ndidi is set to pen a new deal at the King Power rather than leave on a free.
The Foxes are once again set to turn to Serie A and have reportedly joined the race to sign Juventus forward Matias Soule, who is available for around 35m euros (£29m) this summer.
The creative midfielder was on loan at Frosinone alongside Okoli last season, and managed to find the net 11 times as well as grabbing three assists, though he could not prevent them from relegation to Serie B.
He drew comparisons to winger Domenico Berardi from Eusebio Di Francesco, but is also capable of playing more centrally thanks to his “excellent” dribbling.
“In certain aspects, he resembles Berardi, but he must learn to shoot on goal more often. He doesn’t lack qualities and has excellent dribbling, but in the game, he needs to be more lucid when making his choices,” the Frosinone boss explained back in November.
Leicester have already seen one 25m euro offer turned down for his services this summer, but Tuttosport claim [via Sport Witness] that the Foxes’ pressure is becoming “increasingly strong” and that they are ready to offer a 30m euro package including 5m euros in add-ons in a bid to “entice” Juve into a sale.
On the players’ side, they are ready to shell out 15m euros (£12.5m) across a five year deal, and have enlisted the help of Okoli to persuade him to pick Leicester over other suitors, with the centre-back a “great friend” of the young playmaker.
If the latest Leicester addition can help them pull off the move, he may be a fan favourite before he has even kicked a ball at the King Power Stadium.
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