Leicester City: £35m midfielder in demand; Newcastle star wanted; Portugal hero linked

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Now that Euro 2016 has finished, the transfer business is likely to ramp up, with Leicester looking to make more moves to prepare their squad for the Champions League. Their star midfielder N’Golo Kanté continues to be linked with a move away, with several clubs looking to sign him.

The latest side to be mentioned is Shanghai SIPG, managed by Sven Goran Eriksson, who are set to make a £35 million bid for Kanté, according to the
Mirror. This is another example of the Chinese Superleague possessing the financial muscle to blow European clubs out of the water, and they think they can offer wages that are too good to turn down.

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The report states that the midfielder’s agents are touting him to clubs around the world and he has a clause in his contract. However, the paper suggests that the clause only opens a dialogue and that there is no pressure for Leicester to sell Kanté. They want to keep the Frenchman and believe he is a professional and that he would continue to give his all for the club if he is forced to stay.

Leicester are battling hard to keep him and will not give up easily, as they now believe he is vital to their title defence. Kanté was excellent last term, and it is no surprise that he is a wanted man, but Leicester need to retain his services in order to send out a statement of intent, much like the situation concerning Jamie Vardy, which of course has now been resolved in a positive manner for The Foxes.

Spanish website Sport carries a report that touts Moussa Sissoko as a possible replacement for N’Golo Kanté. The Frenchman replaced Kanté in the France side at the Euros and has a lot of experience in the top flight. His best position is in central midfield and he would jump at the chance to move to Leicester, as he is unhappy at Newcastle.

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However, this deal may be difficult to complete, as Newcastle are likely to demand a lot of money. The rumours are that the club want at least £35 million, and even if they are willing to negotiate, they will want a fee north of £20 million.

Sissoko is an excellent carrier of the football, capable of beating players with his pace and strength, as he displayed on numerous occasions at the Euros. His power and strength make him a formidable player and one capable of creating space for himself on the pitch.

Sissoko can also play on the wing, which would make him an appealing squad option. His defensive work rate is questionable, and he can often go missing in matches, making him a completely different sort of player to Kante, which makes me question the validity of this report. The Frenchman’s inconsistent performances for Newcastle make him a massive risk and one that Leicester should avoid.

The Sun are reporting that Leicester are one of the clubs in the race for William Carvalho, who would be a much better replacement for Kanté than Sissoko. He was one of the stars at Euro 2016 and looks to have the potential to develop into one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.

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His positioning and reading of the game were superb throughout the tournament, showing how much he has developed over the last couple of years. Carvalho is also a very good passer of the football and is more comfortable on the ball than many in his position, which make him an attractive option for teams looking for a defensive midfielder.

I do not think Leicester will be making an offer for the midfielder until it looks certain that Kanté is departing, and by that time, he may have already joined another club, with Everton and Southampton interested. They don’t need three midfielders in that profile, and they already have Kanté and Nampalys Mendy.

Carvalho shone in France and it is clear that he is a very good player at retrieving possession. He would be a good replacement for Kante, but Leicester are better off doing all they can to keep the Frenchman. He is the best player for that position in the world on current form, and that is obvious by the interest in him. Leicester should only look into replacing him when they really need to.

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