Leicester City ready to outbid overseas club in battle for defender

Leicester City has stated that they intend to outbid Zenit for Sao Paulo defender Lucas Beraldo, after the Russian team submitted a bid of €18 million, according to UOL.

Caglar Soyuncu, Daniel Amartey, and Jonny Evans left Leicester City over the summer to join Atletico Madrid, Besiktas, and Manchester United, respectively. The Foxes replaced them with Callum Doyle from Manchester City, who was brought in on loan, and Conor Coady from Everton.

Manager Enzo Maresca is still aiming to bolster this position, though, and they have targets in mind for the upcoming January transfer window.

One player they have their eye on is Lucas Beraldo of Sao Paulo. Foreign teams have also expressed interest in the 20-year-old; Zenit in Russia has put in a bid of about €18 million. However, UOL is now saying that Leicester City is willing to outbid their rival.

A significant risk?

This kind of bid for a guy who is still relatively unknown could prove to be a risky move for Leicester City. Even while they may have the money after high-profile transactions and parachute payments, an offer of at least €20 million seems exorbitant for a player who is competing in the Brazilian division.

There is undoubtedly potential there. Possibility of the player making an impact in the starting lineup and assisting Leicester City in their promotion. In addition, if the player does well, there’s a chance he’ll raise his market worth, which the Foxes may then sell later on.

It would appear more advantageous for Maresca’s team to take a closer look at players who are on transfer lists or who could be available for loan deals, especially those with top flight experience. When they reach the Premier League, they may use that expertise to aid them there as well as in the Championship in the short term. Most players that meet this criteria would probably also be less expensive.