According to recent reports from Greek publication SDNA, Norwegian right-back Omar Elabdellaoui may make a move to the Premier League this summer, amid interest from Leicester City.
The Foxes are named, alongside Southampton and Burnley, as current Premier League clubs who are said to be monitoring the Olympiacos man’s status, with his current Olympiacos contract set to expire on the 30th of June 2020.
Elabdellaoui has previous experience in English football, having formerly been a member of Manchester City’s youth academy, joining the club in July 2008. The Norway international never made a first-team appearance during his time at City, having only appeared on the City bench on one occasion according to Transfermarkt, acting as an unused substitute for a Europa League clash with Juventus in 2010.
Elabdellaoui was loaned out on three occasions during his tenure as a City player, spending some time at Stromsgodset, a club native to Elabdellaoui’s home nation of Norway, Dutch club Feyenoord, and German side Eintracht Braunschweig before eventually being sold to the German club for a transfer fee of £450K in July 2013, ending his five-year stint as a Manchester City player.
The 28-year-old subsequently returned to England for a loan spell at Hull City which occurred between January 2017 and June 2017, during which time he made nine appearances for the club in all competitions.
Leicester City are one of three Premier League clubs who have been named by SDNA as a potential destination for Elabdellaoui, should he seek a return to English football this summer. The Norwegian right-back is currently valued at £5.4m according to Transfermarkt.co.uk, however, he may be available on a free transfer this summer, with his current deal with Olympiacos set to expire at the end of June.
Leicester City right-back Ricardo Pereira recently suffered an ACL injury which Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers described as being a “huge blow” for the club. It may be fair to say that Pereira has been one of Leicester City’s best players this season, earning an average overall rating of 7.5 according to WhoScored.com for his 29 Premier League appearances this season. This makes Pereira the Foxes’ highest-rated player for the 2019/20 Premier League season according to WhoScored.
Considering his impressive performances for the Foxes this season, it may be fair to say that Pereira’s absence could deal a blow to Leicester on the pitch.
Considering that the Portuguese international has suffered an ACL injury, it may be understandable why Leicester might consider looking at bringing a new right-back to the King Power Stadium to provide some extra cover in Pereira’s absence. It may be understandable why Elabdellaoui may prove an attractive option for the Foxes should they enter the market for a right-back, with his current Olympiacos contract is set to come to an end this summer.
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