Leicester City have agreed a deal to sign Algerian forward Islam Slimani and have agreed to activate teammate Adrien Silva’s £38.5 million release clause.
Sky Sports report that the Premier League champions have come to an agreement with Sporting CP for Islam Slimani, after an initial bid of £25 million was rejected by the Portuguese club on Tuesday morning. Both parties have since agreed on a fee of around £30 million which will see Slimani move to Leicester City after his medical.
The report further states that Slimani has been allowed to leave the Algerian training camp and will undergo a medical in the coming hours. The Foxes broke their club transfer record earlier in the summer by signing Ahmed Musa for a reported £16.6 million, but this deal would see them smash their transfer record for the second time in the same transfer window.
Slimani has gone on to score 56 goals for Leões in 108 appearances since joining them from CR Belouizdad on a free transfer in 2013, and his 27 league goals in 33 appearances last term helped them to a second-placed finish in Primeira Liga.
Foxes to activate Silva’s release clause
The European championship winning midfielder had stated earlier in the week that he wishes to move to Leicester City in an interview with Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, He said: “Yes, I confirm this proposal. Leicester is very interesting and corresponds to my career goals.
“After the past 15 years at Sporting, this opportunity is something exceptional for me and can allow me to express and impose myself in another championship, and also to evolve in the Premier League, which is a stunning league.”
This news comes after the midfielder signed a deal to extend with the Portuguese giants in February. The Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan target’s chances of moving to the Premier League seemed to have taken a blow after it was reported that Sporting’s German target Bastian Schweinsteiger refused to leave Manchester United to join the Portuguese giants.
But according to ESPN, the Foxes have decided to activate the 27-year-old’s £38.5 million release clause. Such a drastic measure was necessary after the Leos refused to negotiate for their captain, having already lost Joao Mario this season to Inter Milan.
