Islam Slimani is not the only Sporting player who’s wanted by Leicester City. Reports from Portugal suggest the Foxes are after Adrien Silva too, and an agreement is very close to happen.
On Monday morning, Record and O Jogo both said that the Premier League champions were using the talks about the striker to ask about the midfielder as well.
Adrien Silva has a €45m release clause and the Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho was said to not be eager to sell him for much less than that.
O Jogo claimed Sporting would want €40m up front plus €5m in bonuses. The newspaper didn’t mention how far Leicester would go for the Portuguese international, but he’s said to be Claudio Ranieri’s priority for the midfield.
But in an interview with O Jogo’s website later, Adrien confirmed Leicester’s bid and said he’s keen to accept it.
When asked if the Foxes offered €25m for him, he said: “Yes, I confirm this bid. Leicester’s sporting project is very interesting and corresponds to my career goals.
“After 15 years at Sporting, this opportunity is something exceptional for me and can allow me to express and impose myself in another league, and also to evolve in the Premier League, which is a stunning league.”
“I love Sporting as a family and I dedicated myself to the club since I was 12 years old. With Sporting, I lived many moments of happiness. I can say that I grew up with the club. At 27 years old, and after so many years of loyalty, I think that no one will criticise me for wanting to embrace this challenge.
“Leaving home is always difficult, part of my heart will always be here. But at the same time, this is the time to live another footballing experience. Of course, I will miss Sporting’s environment.
“I met many exceptional people, tremendous fans, an unforgettable team, a coach who always understood me. But also a president who knew how to grow the club and who knew how to establish respect and mutual trust.
“The President always assured me that, after so many years of dedication, he would not put obstacles to my professional development if they received an interesting offer for both parties. I think that is the case and we should come up with something concrete soon.”
After these strong quotes, it seems it’s just a matter of time before Sporting and Leicester show up with a deal. However, it would be out of character for Bruno de Carvalho to suddenly accept much less money.
