Leicester make offer to wantaway Porto midfielder; Arsenal interested too

Leicester City have made an offer to FC Porto midfielder and soon-to-be free agent Otavio, according to reports.

The Foxes are said to be one of several clubs vying for the 25-year-old’s signature, with another being fellow Premier League side Arsenal.

The Brazilian is attracting interest from all over Europe after deciding not to renew his contract with the reigning Portuguese champions. His current deal expires in the summer.

Italian site TuttoMercatoWeb reported Leicester’s interest and have claimed that Brendan Rodgers’ side have put an offer on the table.

Otavio has registered 17 goals and 45 assists in 166 appearances across six-and-a-half seasons at Porto. He has two goals and four assists to his name in the league so far this campaign.

He is a versatile midfield option who has made a considerable amount of appearances on both the left and right flanks, whilst most commonly slotting into attacking midfield.

The East Midlands outfit face stiff competition from AC Milan, Roma, Napoli and Juventus in the race for the signing. All four Serie A clubs have reportedly made offers to Otavio too.

Roma have emerged as frontrunners, but AC Milan legend and current technical director Paolo Maldini has spoken with the midfielder over the phone.

 


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Rodgers admits Leicester planning for life without Vardy

Meanwhile, Rodgers has admitted that Leicester are going to have to make a plan for life without prolific striker Jamie Vardy.

The former England man turned 34 last week and has been nursing a persistent hip problem. He will be fit for Tuesday’s visit of Chelsea after coming off late on in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Southampton.

Despite his long-standing hip issue Vardy has still scored 13 times in 19 games this season. However, Rodgers admitted, like with any player, the club must look to the future.

“Of course, the backdrop is the club always has to be looking forward and planning forward, not just in Jamie’s position but in every position. It’s something which is an ongoing process with every player,” he said.

“My job is to maximise the best we can get out of Jamie while he’s here and in my time here hopefully we have shown he is developing and continuing to develop. At that age you can still develop and improve on and off the pitch and he’s consistently showed that to me.”

READ MORE: Leicester injury blow leaves Rodgers unsure about midfielder transfer