Leicester City: Troy Deeney latest; Mahrez replacement sourced; young defender linked

The last few days have been more positive for Leciester fans, as there has been much more talk about incomings than outgoings. It is looking increasingly likely that Jamie Vardy is going to snub Arsenal in favour of staying at the champions, and the club are looking to bring in a strike partner for him in the form of Troy Deeney.

The , amongst other sources, are reporting that the club have seen a bid of £25 million turned down for the forward. This shows the financial power of Premier League clubs, which allows them to ludicrously over-value their players. Very few would claim that Deeney has done enough in his career to demand a transfer fee anywhere close to £25 million, but Watford are financially strong enough to turn down offers of that size. Leicester may be better off looking elsewhere.

Deeney fits in well with the club’s ethos, as he is a hard-working player, who will run tirelessly for the side. He could complement Vardy well, as he likes to drop deeper and play more as a creator, which would allow Vardy to play further up field and make dangerous runs in behind, as he so likes to do.

Deeney is also a strong finisher, and is clever with his movement in the final third. It is not surprising he wants the move as it would allow him the opportunity to test himself at the highest level, but there is a lot of work to do to complete this deal.

An exciting piece of transfer speculation in recent days is that Leicester could be set to move for Hatem Ben Arfa, if Riyad Mahrez departs according to . The Frenchman is available on a free transfer and would be a great piece of business.

He had an up-and-down spell with Newcastle and failed to make an impact at Hull City. However, there is no doubting the talent of the mercurial attacker. He makes dribbling look effortless and eases his way through challenges. Ben Arfa has certainly added consistency to his game while at Nice, and is much better placed to succeed in the Premier League than he was before.

They will face competition for his signature, with PSG and Sevilla both interested. Leicester may have to act quickly to secure Ben Arfa, even if that means bringing him in before Riyad Mahrez is sold. They should be looking to add competition and depth to the squad, not only replace departing players, and Ben Arfa would be a low risk move financially.

Ranieri will be confident of getting the best out of the Frenchman after helping Mahrez add consistency. This would certainly be an interesting move that would make the other top sides in England concerned that Leicester may be more serious than one season wonders.

The final transfer link to be discussed today is a possible move for Burnley’s Michael Keane, as reported by . The fee suggested in the article is around the £10 million mark, and it is proposed that a bid is expected in the coming days. It would be a move to add cover for Robert Huth and Wes Morgan, and would retain a British feel to the squad, something of great importance to Ranieri.

Keane was one of the stand-out defenders in the Championship last season and at the age of 23, he has plenty of time to develop into a top centre-half. This could be a great deal for Leicester if they manage to convince Burnley to sell.

This summer’s transfer speculation so far suggests that Leicester are going to continue to target the same profile of players as they have been in recent seasons. They are not looking to break the bank to sign players with huge reputations, and that could be a wise move to keep the squad’s famous team spirit. They will also want to bring in players that will buy into their hard-working style of play and fit in well tactically. Leicester are looking long term with their transfer business, and that is certainly a wise move from the club.

Featured Image: All rights reserved by