Leicester eye transfer for 20-year-old playing under Nigel Pearson
By Akash Roy
Leicester City has emerged as one of the two teams greatly interested in persuading Bristol City’s 20-year-old midfielder Han-Noah Massengo to make a move.
Nigel Pearson – a familiar face to the Foxes stands in the way of making this move possible as the Robins are desperate to retain the French midfielder for the Championship outfit. However, keeping the youngster would be tough considering the value Premier League duo Southampton and Leicester City brings to the table.
"“No, not that I’m aware of. We’re trying to get to an agreement with him. But he’s not involved in that, he wants to concentrate on his football. We are very keen to get some sort of conclusion. It’s one those where, we’re trying to secure him for a longer period.” – Pearson on whether there was any update on Massengo’s contract situation via Hampshire Live."
In his third season at Ashton Gate, Massengo has impressed the fans with his performances. He has played in 25 Championship games and registered two assists to his name. Last season he only participated in 32 games, but only halfway through this season, the youngster has been trusted with more minutes by Pearson as a reward for his gradual development.
Leicester City can benefit from youngsters like these
Bristol is currently 17th in the standings. The battle for promotion looks highly unlikely for them. With no hopes of offering top-level football, the club cannot aid those who aim for higher aspirations. At the end of this season, they are likely to make some sales, which is why the top-tier English clubs are sniffing around their talent pool.
Massengo’s contract expires at the end of 2023. If he chooses to decline any contract extension, he will eventually be leaving the club in the upcoming summer. Bristol Live has reported that the outfit has not yet been successful in convincing the Frenchman, with additional scouts from Freiburg taking a look at the player.
Bristol City CEO Richard Gould had said earlier that the midfielder is a player the Robins would like to keep for the next ten years. With collective interests growing in Massengo, Bristol’s persuasiveness will be measured in the coming months. Leicester City can indeed utilize such a player to play for them in the Premier League 2 to gather some first-team experience as possible.