Enzo Maresca facing Leicester City decision involving 29-year-old who is a wanted man
Torino is looking to acquire the services of Leicester City midfielder Dennis Praet
Leicester City midfielder Dennis Praet is one of many players who look set to depart the King Power Stadium this summer, as the Foxes look set for a major rebuild under the stewardship of newly-appointed Enzo Maresca.
As reported by Leicestershire Live, Italian outfit Torino are keen on making a move for the Belgian international who spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Il Toro, and the Serie A side was keen on making his move permanent last summer until they were unable to reach the Foxes’ valuation.
How did Dennis Praet perform last season for Leicester City?
As the Italian side was unable to strike a deal 12 months ago, Praet was left with no real option but to fight for his place under the management of Brendan Rodgers and later on, Dean Smith.
During the season which ended Leicester’s 9-year stint in the Premier League, the 29-year-old made 22 appearances but only started six of those, as well as being an unused substitute in the final three games of the season as the Foxes were unable to beat the drop into the Championship.
What will Enzo Maresca choose to do with Dennis Praet?
Reports in Italy from TuttoSport and La Stampa suggest that the Turin-based side is the only club willing to acquire the services of the central midfielder.
The latest valuation from Leicester of Praet is reported to be in the region of £6M, but Torino is hopeful of trying to strike an even cheaper deal over the course of the transfer window.
With Praet not selected by Belgium in the latest qualifiers for Euro 2024, it means that he will be one of the first players to return to the club’s Seagrave training ground for pre-season on July 3rd. This gives Maresca a chance to weigh his options, which could prove to be a stumbling block in the deal from the Italians’ point of view.
Should Leicester decide to cash in on Praet?
From a financial aspect, this summer presents Leicester with the only opportunity they have to garner any significant funds for the midfielder whose contract expires in June 2024.
f Maresca opts to keep Praet as an option in Leicester’s midfield with Youri Tielemans already departing for Aston Villa and Wilfried Ndidi being linked with a move to reunite with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic, they risk losing him on a free transfer despite paying around £20M in 2019 as he joined from fellow Italian side Sampdoria.
