Danish left-back Victor Kristiansen spent little time at Leicester City before departing on loan with the opportunity to leave permanently.
Victor Kristiansen signed for Leicester City in January 2023 but spent just a little over five months at the club before departing on loan to Italian club Bologna with an option to make the deal permanent at the end of this season.
Victor Kristiansen moved to Leicester City in the winter transfer window last season from Danish Superliga side Copenhagen on a five-and-a-half-year deal at 20 years old.
The left-back made twelve Premier League appearances for the Foxes during the 2022/23 season, making one assist, but his performances could not stop the club from getting relegated to the Championship.
The Danish international moved to Italian Serie A club Bologna at the start of this season on a season-long loan with an option to buy, according to the club’s website.
Kristiansen revealed the reason for his decision in a press conference after joining. He said: “We got a new manager at Leicester and he did want to make me into a centre-back and play with three at the back.
“He wanted me to play on the left, so I told my agent that I needed to go somewhere I could be myself and where I could develop as a full-back.”
The 21-year-old has had a fantastic season in Italy, where he has earned many plaudits, and it is looking increasingly likely that the club will exercise their option to buy him outright.
Victor Kristiansen has played his part in Bologna’s brilliant season
Bologna are having an amazing season in the Italian Serie A, where they are currently in fourth place and look to be on track to achieve Champions League qualification for the first time in the club’s history.
The Northern Italian club have earned many admirers throughout Europe for their exciting passing style, which has helped them to be on track for their best performance in the Italian top-flight for 57 years.
Victor Kristiansen’s 2023/24 Serie A Statistics (From Sofascore) | |
Matches Played | 28 |
Minutes Per Game | 70 |
Average Rating | 6.92 |
Assists | 3 |
Expected Assists | 1.26 |
Clean Sheets | 6 |
Victor Kristiansen has been a key member of the Rossoblù squad this term. He has made 28 league appearances in his favoured position of left-back and has the joint-second most assists for his team this season.
His performances have led to high praise from his manager, Thiago Motta. He said: “He is a fantastic guy; I love his attitude when he gets the ball, his reaction to errors and his efforts to recover possession because they are similar to mine when I was 16 and I was playing for Barcelona. He is fantastic and shows what I want to see, so I am really happy.”
The profit from a Kristiansen sale could do wonders for Leicester
According to Football Italia, Bologna are ready to exercise their option to purchase Victor Kristiansen outright for a fee said to be in the region of £12.8 million.
The fee is less than the reported £17 million that Leicester paid for the left-back, according to MailOnline, but the income could be vital for Leicester in the summer, with the Midlands club in pole position in the Championship and looking likely to earn promotion.
Victor Kristiansen has flourished in Thiago Motta’s system at Bologna in what is turning out to be their best season in years. Neither the player nor his current manager seem to want the Dane to return to Leicestershire next season to link up with Enzo Maresca’s team, who may well be in the Premier League by that point.
The cash injection following the likely sale of the left-back will do wonders for the Foxes next season as they will look to strengthen in the summer for their first season back in the Premier League following relegation or rally for another push to the first division.
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