Leicester: Things to know about transfer target Otávio of Porto
By Joe Reilly
Leicester City have joined the race for Brazilian attacking midfielder Otávio, who currently plies his trade for Porto in the Liga NOS, with the aim of bolstering their squad this January.
That’s right- Leicester City are in pursuit of a Brazilian attacking midfielder this January, and no, it’s not Neymar. The man is question is 25-year-old Otávio Monteiro, currently contracted to Portuguese outfit Porto, though he’ll be available as a free agent this June.
Otávio operates primarily in the hole, contributing two goals and four assists for the Dragões so far this term, and could prove valuable depth for a Leicester City side that seems to be constantly grappling with injuries. Currently, James Maddison is the only natural number 10 at Brendan Rodgers‘ disposal, though Ayoze Pérez, Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet can all function sufficiently as backups.
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The midfielder is also capable of playing on either wing, which should ease the seemingly inevitable exit of out-of-favour youngster Demarai Gray this summer. In a season where fitness and rotation issues could have easily crippled the Foxes, versatile squad players have been the shining light in the East Midlands- the Brazilian’s addition might prove invaluable to Leicester next season, perhaps rising to the cult hero status that seems reserved for Marc Albrighton and James Justin.
Contracts, competition and Leicester City
With Otávio’s contract expiring this June and no sign of an extension in sight, I can safely say that if the 25-year-old does make the switch to the King Power Stadium, it’ll be in the coming summer, and not the current January transfer window. With a free transfer available just months down the line, I can’t see Khun Top Srivaddhanaprabha forking out the cash early on, even if it means beating the competition to his signature.
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Speaking of which, Leicester City are by no means alone in their pursuit of the Brazilian. AS Roma, AC Milan, Juventus and Napoli are all said to be interested- notably, all Serie A clubs. The Foxes’ key bargaining power here lies in their ability to offer the attacking midfielder Premier League football- after all, who doesn’t want to play in the greatest league in the world?