Leicester City: First signing announced; Arsenal trigger striker’s release clause

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Leicester City have completed their first signing of the summer as they attempt to build a squad strong enough to challenge in both the league and the Champions League next season. The club still don’t have the finances and the lure that the established big clubs have, but their excellent scouting system and the pull of Champions League football should help them make some smart signings.

The club have signed German international goalkeeper Rob-Robert Zieler from Hannover 96, after activating his release clause. He joins on a four-year-contract and will provide some much needed competition for Kasper Schmeichel. Zieler has played in England before having come through the Manchester United youth academy, while he was a part of the German 2014 World Cup winning squad, showing his undoubted ability. He told LCFC.com:

“It feels great coming to Leicester and joining the Club after they’ve had such a great season – it’s really nice to be part of the Club now. I’ve been shown around the training ground and it looks very good and I’ve been to the stadium – I heard about the great atmosphere and the great fans, so my first impression is very good.”

This is a huge positive for the club, as it shows they are trying to improve the depth the squad, as well as adding quality this summer. Zieler is a well-established goalkeeper, who is an excellent shot stopper, and is effective at distributing the ball. The latter is an important part of Leicester’s play, as they try to use Jamie Vardy on the counter attack. He will be a great addition and it will mean that the club aren’t over-reliant on Schmeichel.”

News surrounding the Leicester number one is that he is currently in talks to sign a new contract at the club, according to the Daily Mail. The report states that the club want to tie him down for the next five years and they are willing to make him one of the highest paid goalkeepers in the league, alongside David de Gea and Joe Hart. This again shows Leicester’s desire to keep hold of the key men from last year and make them integral to the club’s long term future.

There have been rumours linking the goalkeeper with a move away, with both Barcelona and Liverpool being linked in recent weeks. However, this news is positive and suggests the Dane will be between the sticks next season. He is a leader, and has emerged as one of the most reliable goalkeepers in the league, especially in terms of shot stopping, while his control of the box and distribution are both very good. He will now have competition in the form of Ron-Robert Zieler, but that should only help him go from strength-to-strength and consolidate his position as one of the league’s leading keepers.

The Leicester Mercury are reporting that the club are interested in the French midfielder Nampalys Mendy, who has just had a good campaign, helping the unfancied Nice to a Europa League place. They have taken the rumour from Le 10 Sport in France, who reported that Leicester have submitted an offer of €15m and hope to beat off competition from other Premier League clubs.

Mendy is one of the best defensive midfielders in Ligue 1 and could be a good addition if he adapts to the league. They will be hoping he is another Ngolo Kante if he does join and fit in straight away, but there is always a risk that comes with buying a player from abroad.

The midfielder is good in possession and could be a good foil for both Kante and Danny Drinkwater. Leicester fans will be concerned that the club appear to be bidding for a lot of central midfielders, which could suggest the exit of one or both of the two mentioned above. Mendy likes to shoot from distance and avoids jumping into tackles, and he would provide a different option in the middle of the park. Although this is just a rumour, Leicester appear to have a defensive minded midfielder at the top of their transfer hit list and Mendy would be an interesting option if he is signed.

The breaking transfer news on Friday night was that Arsenal were interested in Jamie Vardy and are prepared to meet his release clause, believed to be around £20m. The report by BBC Sport says that the two clubs are in talks are ongoing and that the release clause has been met.

This would be a huge blow to Leicester as they attempt to build a strong squad, and show their ambitions to push on to their current players and potential targets. Jamie Vardy is perfect for their style of play, as he is a tireless worker and excels on the counter attack. His directness and pace allowed Leicester to be able to play with little possession and he will be needed next season in the Champions League. 

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