Leicester City defender Filip Benkovic is wanted by Championship side Derby County, according to Derbyshire Live. The 22-year-old is said to be the club’s number one target and they’re hopeful of striking a deal with the Foxes this month.
Philip Cocu’s side are 17th in England’s second-tier and are planning on bringing in some new faces at the earliest opportunity.
Does Benkovic need a loan move?
Yes
No
Benkovic is yet to appear for Leicester City in the Premier League but has impressed playing for the Under 23’s this season where he has made six appearances to date.
The Croatian was signed from Dinamo Zagreb back in 2018 for £13m (via Transfermarkt.co.uk) and was believed to have a bright future ahead of him but given the impressive form of Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans this season, it’s unlikely he’ll feature for the first team anytime soon.
TIF Tactics – A loan would be in the player’s best interests
The Premier League seems above Benkovic at the moment but some experience in the Championship under a talented coach like Philip Cocu could accelerate his development and help him establish himself as a future Leicester City regular.
Given the £8.1m-rated enforcer (per Transfermarkt.co.uk) looks unlikely to be a part of Brendan Rodgers’ immediate plans at the moment, it seems unlikely the Foxes will block a move but having made a significant investment in the former Celtic loanee, a permanent transfer seems highly unlikely.
Leicester are said to be in the market for a new central-defender themselves with Merih Demiral of Juventus being heavily linked, perhaps the decision to allow Benkovic to leave will be dependent on whether or not the Foxes can bring in a new recruit.