Leicester City transfer rumours analysed, looking at links to Roma striker Tammy Abraham, Juventus winger Matias Soule, and Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff
The transfer window may have only just opened officially, but the rumours have been swirling for a few weeks.
That’s even at Leicester City, where concerns over financial regulations mean they won’t be splashing masses of cash this summer. Deals will have to be done at some point though to get them ready for their Premier League survival bid.
Here, we’ve taken three of the latest City transfer rumours and looked at them a little more closely to see if there is any legitimacy to them. You can let us know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Tammy Abraham
Reports in Italy say City are one of the clubs eyeing Abraham as Roma get set to part with the England striker. He’s fit again after recovering from an ACL tear, but has found himself out of favour since returning to fitness, with Daniele De Rossi now in the dugout, rather than Jose Mourinho.
Abraham made a brilliant start to life in the Italian capital, scoring 27 goals in his maiden campaign there, including the winner over City in the clubs’ Europa Conference League semi-final meeting. He scored nine times in his second season at the Stadio Olimpico and just once in an injury-ravaged campaign last term.
Further reports from the Telegraph say Abraham could be available for around £20m, with a move back to the Premier League possible. Tottenham, West Ham, and Aston Villa are named as sides who could be interested.
LeicestershireLive’s Jordan Blackwell says: Up front, City have quantity, but do they have the necessary quality? That’s a question they need to ask themselves this summer.
Even with Kelechi Iheanacho leaving on a free transfer, City have enough options up front for the new manager to work with. Very few bosses play with two up front these days, so a trio of strikers is definitely plenty.
But those options right now are a 37-year-old Jamie Vardy, a hit-and-miss Patson Daka, and an inexperienced Tom Cannon. There will have to be a consideration as to whether any of the trio are good enough to be spearheading City’s bid for survival.
A consistent performer up top feels crucial to keeping afloat and so even within City’s limited budget, a new striker may be smart business. And Abraham feels like an ideal signing.
He’s got pace, he’s got height, he’s got that goalscoring knack. At 26, he’s at a great age. He’s got Premier League experience but he will have developed during his time with Roma and would be returning to England keen to prove he should factored into the same conversations as the likes of Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, and Dominic Solanke as options for the Three Lions.
In that case, £20m feels pretty cheap. If City do decide a new forward is needed, Abraham looks like a potentially brilliant option. Being able to promise him the lead striker role means City may even seem an attractive option to Abraham even if the likes of Spurs and Villa are keen.
Matias Soule
More reports from Italy have suggested that City and West Ham have held talks with the representative of young Juventus winger Soule. It’s said the Italian giants are happy for him to leave at the right price this summer in order to help them fund their business, with a figure of at least €40m (£33.7m) desired.
Picked up by Juventus from Velez Sarsfield in his native Argentina, Soule has made a handful of appearances for the Bianconeri but really made his breakthrough last season on loan at Frosinone. Despite the club being relegated out of Serie A, 21-year-old Soule managed 11 goals from the right flank to finish as their top scorer.
LeicestershireLive’s Jordan Blackwell says: City won’t be signing anybody for that price this summer, never mind a player in an area where they are already strengthening. Soule looks like he has a promising future in the game, but his best position is off the right wing and City will be bringing in Abdul Fatawu in that role for nearly £20m less.
In an ideal world, City probably could do with a new face out wide to provide competition. But with Fatawu one side, with Stephy Mavididi on the other, and with the likes of Kasey McAteer, Wanya Marcal, and maybe even Will Alves to operate there, it’s won’t be something they are desperate for this summer.
Sean Longstaff
City are said to be plotting a £15m swoop for the Newcastle midfielder. According to The Mirror, City have been keeping an eye on Longstaff for a number of months and are now said to be ready to turn that interest into something more concrete.
Although the 26-year-old started 30 of Newcastle’s 38 Premier League games last season and is clearly well-liked by Eddie Howe, it seems they are willing to sell. As an academy graduate, he’s valuable when it comes to Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and it’s reported that City could help “solve” Newcastle’s concerns on that front.
LeicestershireLive’s Jordan Blackwell says: City are not in a position to be solving any other club’s PSR problems. They’ve got their own to deal with first. That means incoming transfers before the June 30 cut-off points are extremely unlikely.
Even beyond that, there would be doubts as to whether Longstaff is the sort of midfielder City need. They definitely do need to strengthen in that area, but what they require are forward-thinking options.
Longstaff scored eight times across all competitions last season. That’s a decent tally and it seems it’s an area he is improving in. But while being able to chip in with goals is a fine attribute, Longstaff doesn’t seem to have the ball-carrying and passing qualities that City would also require from a forward-thinking midfield option.
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