Lazio Interested in Bringing €10M Leicester City Man Back to Serie A | OneFootball

Lazio are searching the market for a new defender, and one of the solutions could be Leicester City’s Caleb Okoli.

Lazio May Need a New Defender

As Calciomercato explains, returning Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri is determined to restore the club’s lost defensive solidity, and he considers Alessio Romagnoli and Mario Gila fundamental for his plans. Nevertheless, his old pupil Patric has been dealing with major injury problems, while it remains to be seen if Samuel Gigot and Oliver Provstgaard will be deemed suitable for his style.

Lazio Turn to Diego Coppola

Therefore, the source expects the Italian capital side to pursue at least one new centre-back capable of adding quality and depth to the backline. The report suggests Hellas Verona’s Diego Coppola as one profile who fits the bill.

(Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

The 21-year-old has become a protagonist at the back for the Gialloblu, playing an instrumental role in the club’s successful attempt to avoid relegation. The source adds that the young defender shares the same agent as Sarri, which could facilitate the move, not to mention the excellent relations between the two clubs’ presidents, Claudio Lotito and Maurizio Setti.

Lazio Set Sights on Caleb Okoli

The same source also names Okoli as an alternative solution. The 23-year-old is a youth product of Vicenza and Atalanta who first rose to prominence during his loan stint at Cremonese in Serie B. Last season, he couldn’t find enough space in Bergamo, so he spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Frosinone, before being sold to Leicester in the summer for €14 million.

(Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

The Italian-Nigerian defender hasn’t been able to cement himself as a regular starter with the Foxes who were relegated to the English Championship, so he’s now expected to leave the East Midlands club.

The Asking Price

Calciomercato estimates the defender’s current asking price at €10 million, similar to Coppola, but advises Lazio to act swiftly, as several other clubs are looking to bring Okoli back to Italy, including Bologna, Milan and Parma, which could drive the price up.