An update has emerged on Leicester City and their plans to make further additions to the playing squad before the summer transfer window slams shut today.
What’s the latest Leicester transfer news?
Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that West Ham United and Wolves are among the teams interested in signing Foxes no.14 Kelechi Iheanacho, who is said to be valued at £20m.
It remains to be seen whether or not any of those three Premier League sides are willing to meet the club’s valuation of the Nigeria international but his exit would leave a gap within the group to possibly be filled by a new signing.
According to The72, one striker that is on the club’s radar heading into today’s race against the clock is Bologna centre-forward Sydney van Hooijdonk.
Deal as Leicester set to complete another great signing as deadline emerges
The report claims that league rivals Southampton and Premier League outfit Crystal Palace are also interested in a deal for the 6 foot 3 talisman, with manager Enzo Maresca seemingly eyeing up a last-gasp swoop for the towering striker.
It’s thought the Serie A side are looking for a deal in the region of €10m (£9m), too.
How good is Sydney van Hooijdonk?
Leicester could, therefore, land an instant and dream heir to Iheanacho, should the ex-Manchester City man moves back to the top-flight, by securing a deal for van Hooijdonk as the Dutch ace has the potential to be an upgrade on the 26-year-old forward.
The Bologna gem, who was once lauded as “prolific” by scout Jacek Kulig, spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Heerenveen in the Netherlands and caught the eye with his superb Eredivisie performances at the top end of the pitch.
He averaged a superb Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 33 appearances in the Dutch top-flight and racked up an impressive 16 goals and one assist as the talented finisher showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
That form also came after the giant marksman had scored six times in 13 Eredivisie outings during the second half of the 2021/22 season for Heerenveen.
Iheanacho, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.77 as he produced five goals and five assists in 28 Premier League matches for Leicester last term.
The left-footed whiz has also started the current campaign with zero goals and one assist in four Championship outings for Maresca’s team, which shows that he has been in less than prolific form in front of goal over the last 18 months.
Van Hooijdonk, who scored a sensational 35 goals in 41 games for NAC Breda’s U19 side earlier in his career, is a player who has the potential to come in as an upgrade on the ex-Cityzens prospect.
His form on loan with Heerenveen over the last couple of seasons suggests that he can be a reliable goalscoring option, which Iheanacho has failed to be for Leicester during the same period.
No current Foxes player managed more than five league goals last term and no one has scored more than twice during the current campaign, which suggests that Maresca does not currently have a consistent scorer in his squad.
Therefore, van Hooijdonk could be a superb and much-needed signing to add some firepower to the team as an heir or replacement for Iheanacho before tonight’s deadline.
By admin 
