Now that Islam Slimani has officially left Leicester City to represent Algeria at the African Cup of Nations, Claudio Ranieri’s side are a striker short, and an important one at that.
The 28-year-old was crucial in earning his team three points against West Ham on New Year’s Eve, and his absence from the squad two days later against Middlesbrough was apparent as the teams played out a drab 0-0 draw.
With Leonardo Ulloa and Shinki Okazaki clearly not impressing Ranieri all that much, Leicester are apparently turning to Italy to replace Slimani short-term, and probably one (or both) of the aforementioned two in the long run.
Il Mattino on Thursday claim the Premier League champions have contacted Napoli and enquired about the player, most likely regarding his price.
Southampton and Stoke have both been heavily linked with the Italian striker, with the Serie A side looking to make about €25m from a possible sale this January.
Having brought in Leando Pavoletti from Genoa due to Gabbiadini’s inability to find the back of the net during the first half of the season, €25m might be a lot to ask for, but at only 24, they clearly feel they can bank on his potential to get a decent price for him.
