Over the past few days, there have been recurring reports in various media outlets regarding the potential arrival of Leandro Paredes at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester City are said to be very interested in Roma’s young defensive midfielder, and yesterday, Il Tempo reported a bid had already been placed to bring him to England.
Luciano Spalletti has since made it clear he would prefer to keep the player, but left the door open for a deal if the fee paid allowed them to reinvest in someone else.
The 22-year-old was loaned last season at Empoli to get some game time he wouldn’t find at Roma with their strong midfield, and he appears to have impressed Claudio Ranieri.
In an interview with Corriere dello Sport on Friday, the Italian manager was asked about his club’s interest in the former Argentina U17 international, as well as a potential bid for Gabriel Barbosa in Brazil.
He said: “Everyday they link us with a new player. That’s what the transfer window does…”
However, when pressed more by Corriere, who state he hasn’t denied liking the Roma defensive midfielder, the former Chelsea boss let slip the reports might not be just speculation after all, saying: “You’re right, I didn’t deny it. He’s a player I like.”
Now, there’s a difference between liking a player and actively pursuing him in the transfer market to bring him to your club, but the interest is clearly there.
There’s still over two weeks left before the window slams shut, and perhaps we might see some more movement from the Premier League champions after all.
