Football League World
·27 July 2023
Football League World
·27 July 2023
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Leicester City are closing in on the €7.5 million (£6.4m) of Montpellier forward Stephy Mavididi, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Leicester have been "plotting" a move for Mavididi for some time, with Football Insider first breaking the news of their interest.
Romano then confirmed the Foxes' interest in the wide man in a Twitter update, alongside crediting Lille and Club Brugge with interest in the winger.
Despite bringing in a clutch of new faces under their latest head coach Enzo Maresca, Leicester are yet to add to their attacking options this summer.
The Foxes have already completed four signings so far in the window, in the form of Conor Coady from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Harry Winks from Tottenham Hotspur, Mads Hermansen from Brøndby, and Callum Doyle has arrived on loan until the end of the season from Manchester City.
Leicester have funds to work with, given that Harvey Barnes signed for Newcastle United this week for around £38 million and James Maddison joined Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the window for a fee of around £40 million.
The 25-year-old could be Barnes' replacement on the left-wing and may be a familiar name to some EFL fans, having spent the early stages of his career at Arsenal; but was loaned out to Charlton Athletic and Preston North End prior to leaving the Emirates permanently.
Mavididi plays as a striker in a front two or as a left-winger and has scored 26 and assisted six at Ligue 1 level for Montpellier and Dijon FCO.
Leicester are in need of reinforcements in various areas of the pitch, but especially in their forward line after losing Barnes and Maddison. Mavididi could be the next player through the door; however, the futures of other players still at the club remain unclear, though.
Leciester could still lose some of the likes of Wilfried Ndidi, Hamza Choudhury, Timothy Castagne, Kelechi Iheanacho, Boubakary Soumare, Ricardo Pereira, and more before the end of the transfer window.
Late last week, Romano explained that personal terms were on the verge of being agreed, and the clubs were in direct contact to make it happen quickly.
In the latest update, Romano has outlined that the move is at an advanced stage, with a fee agreed to bring Mavididi back to England. The Derby-born winger will join Leicester imminently.
Romano said: "Stephy Mavididi to Leicester, confirmed as revealed in June and here we go. Deal in place. Agreement on €7.5m plus sell-on clause, player already in England in order to undergo medical tests and sign long term deal."
Stepping down to the Championship should be something Mavididi can easily take in his stride, and he is a player now coming into the peak years of his career - another reason Leicester could look to him as a like-for-like Barnes replacement, and not just because of their positional likeness.
He won’t necessarily be as good as Barnes, but if he can replace his output at second tier level, then he would be a worthwhile, smart piece of business. The reported fee makes this a low-risk signing, too.
He may not have reached the early potential which earnt him a move to Juventus, but that education with the Italian giants and Arsenal’s academy will surely have served him well, alongside him testing himself in France for a few years as well.
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