Leicester City midfielder reveals desire to return to Serie A | OneFootball

Leicester City midfielder Dennis Praet opened up about his desire to return to Serie A this summer and the ‘painful part’ of his time with the Foxes.

The 29-year-old Belgian midfielder left Sampdoria for the English side back in August 2019 in a deal worth around €20m. He briefly returned to Serie A for a season on loan with Torino, but the move wasn’t made permanent, and he’s spent the last two campaigns with the East Midlands outfit.

Praet has less than two months left on his contract with Leicester City and won’t be offered a new deal, allowing him to leave on a free transfer in the summer. Rumours have linked him with a move back to Torino, where he directly contributed to four goals across 24 matches.

Praet opens up about Leicester City

Speaking to Nieuwsblad, Praet was asked if he regretted leaving Sampdoria for Leicester City five years ago.

“No, I really wanted to go to the Premier League, and I made the choice quickly. I also had some good moments… The painful part is that I just wanted to play more. Much more.

“Now I’m at the end of my contract and I feel ready for something new. I’m 29 years old and physically I’m at the peak of my career. I want to be important again somewhere else, I want to find the fun in the game again.”

He commented on if he was afraid of the free agent market.

“No, I’m certainly not scared because I think I’ve already demonstrated my worth enough. But there are questions where you’d like a quick answer.

“But several things are already happening, I just have to be patient, there are also clubs that they don’t really know what their budget will be.”

The Leicester City midfielder was asked about any preferences.

“Yes, Italy will always be ahead. I played three years at Sampdoria and one at Torino, my best years abroad. The tactics in Italy attract me a lot, this year I had an Italian coach like Maresca, he impressed me.

“The English players say they have never learned so much and I still have my Italian phone number, I have never changed it… I would like to return to Italy, where I have always felt comfortable.”

Finally, Praet spoke about the idea of a Torino return.

“They looked for me, but a return never happened. At Leicester they thought I was too good, useful and versatile to let me go on the cheap. I’m not dramatic or someone who pushes to move, but I would certainly listen to an offer from Torino, even now.”