Leicester City have reportedly entered the race for Inter Milan star Jeison Murillo, joining Manchester City and Tottenham in summer pursuit of the defender
As per a report from TransferMarketWeb, Leicester City are showing interest in Inter Milan defender Jeison Murillo. The Colombian international has been tailed by several top clubs recently, including Manchester City and Tottenham. And it seems the Foxes have joined their fellow Premier League outfits in the summer pursuit of the defender.
Jeison Murillo is a right-footed centre-back who joined Inter Milan in July 2015 from Granada and has since established himself at the back for Nerazzurri. The 24-year-old has become one of the first names on the team sheet, as evidenced by his 23 Serie A appearances this season – 30 in all competitions.
Murillo is eligible to represent both Spain and Colombia internationally, but has chosen to play for his home nation, racking up 25 senior appearances for Colombia. The 24-year-old has attracted interest from a host of top clubs with his performances, having previously linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
As per the report, while the aforementioned clubs seem to have moved on to other targets, fresh interest has arrived from Manchester City, Tottenham and now Leicester City. Leicester have an ageing back-four and their centre-back pairing of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth 33 and 32 now.
Leicester City would be interested in signing Inter Milan defender Jeison Murillo this summer. (Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport) pic.twitter.com/yPmzU8GyRs
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 11, 2017
The ageing defence has done remarkably well in the Champions League, but they have been found out this season in the Premier League. The Foxes would love to inject some fresh blood at the back, which would help them next campaign. They were linked with a failed bid for Michael Keane last summer, so there has been an intention to freshen up their defence.
Tottenham, on the other hand, have seen Pochettino deploy a 3-man defence quite a number of times this season. And with Kevin Wimmer and Ben Davies heading towards a summer exit, there is likely to be a dearth of options available, especially when the manager does look to deploy a 3-man defence.
Manchester City, unlike others, have actually invested last summer – with a big money signing in John Stones. But, Guardiola has failed to find the perfect partner to the former Evertonian within the squad and is touted to delve into the market for a centre-back among other positions.
Jeison Murillo could well be the player to partner Stones at the back. The 24-year-old, however, is contracted till 2020 and is unlikely to be allowed to go on the cheap by Inter Milan, especially with a squad overhaul around the corner.
It remains to be seen whether Inter Milan will cash in on the player and use it to invest back into the team or keep a hold of the 24-year-old and buy around him.
