Football League World
·17 May 2024
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·17 May 2024
Leicester City are interested in signing Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas in the summer transfer window.
That's according to a report from Italian outlet Il Corriere dello Sport, via La Lazio Siamonoi, who say that Manchester City are also interested in the 22-year-old.
Following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season, this campaign has been a much more successful one for Leicester.
The Foxes have won an immediate promotion back to the top-flight of English football this season, doing so as title winners.
As a result, they are now preparing for a return to the Premier League, and with strengthening the squad set to be a part of that, a new transfer target now looks to have been identified.
As per this latest update, Leicester are showing an interest in Mandas following their promotion this season.
It is claimed that Foxes manager Enzo Maresca is keen to add the former Greek youth international to his side for the coming campaign.
However, reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are also thought to have monitored the goalkeeper.
Mandas only joined Lazio last summer, signing from OFI Crete in his native Greece for a reported €900,000.
He has since gone on to make 12 appearances in all competitions for his current club. Lazio are seventh in Serie A as things stand, four points adrift of a Champions League place as things stand.
It is suggested that it would cost around €15million (£12.9million) to secure the services of Mandas this summer.
As things stand, there are just over four years remaining on the goalkeeper's contract with Lazio, securing his future with the club until the end of the 2027/28 season.
That of course, ensures that the Serie A side are in a strong position to respond to any offers that come in for Mandas once the market has opened.
It does look as though the Lazio goalkeeper could be a useful addition for Leicester if they were to get this deal done.
Mandas was initially second-choice when he arrived in Italy, but stepped in recently following an injury to number one goalkeeper Ivan Provedel.
The 22-year-old has seemingly done well in that time, having kept his place in the starting XI for the last two games despite Provedel returning to fitness with a place on the bench.
That seems to indicate that Mandas is a solid top-flight goalkeeper, who could do a job for Leicester in the Premier League if they were to bring him to The King Power Stadium.
However, it is worth noting that Mads Hermansen, Danny Ward, and Jakub Stolarczyk are all currently in Maresca's squad, while Daniel Iversen set to return from a loan spell at Stoke as well.
Signing Mandas would surely make exits in that position even more likely this summer, since they are surely not going to need so many senior goalkeeping options for next season.
It may also be intriguing to see if this is a deal can afford and are willing to pay for, considering the scrutiny they will be under after investigations into Foxes' spending for breaching Profit and Sustainability limits.
With that in mind, this does feel like a link that is well worth keeping an eye on for Leicester, over the course of the next few weeks.
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