‘Excited’ Okoli officially joins Leicester City from Atalanta as transfer fee revealed | OneFootball

Atalanta confirm Caleb Okoli’s transfer to Leicester City.

Italian centre-back Okoli has joined Premier League side Leicester City from Atalanta.

Both La Dea and the Foxes confirmed the deal with official statements on Tuesday.

“Atalanta BC announce the permanent move of footballer Memeh Caleb Okoli to Leicester City FC: the 22-year-old centre-back joins the Foxes after having spent the previous Serie A season on loan at Frosinone Calcio,” said the Serie A side.

“The Club wish Caleb all the best for his future endeavours.”

“I think now is the right moment [for me] to make a step forward and a very big one. I’m very happy with the choice I made, so I’m very excited to start in the Premier League. Now I’m here in Leicester I’m feeling ready to start with my new team,” Okoli told Leicester City’s official website.

“It was the right opportunity and it’s very important for me. The Premier League is the best league in the world. Leicester is a beautiful club, an important club and the two combined together, so I took this opportunity to come and express myself in the Premier League.”

Okoli spent the last season on loan at Frosinone, where he made 37 appearances across all competitions, spending 3,215 minutes on the pitch.

A former U21 Italy international, Okoli took part in the U21 European Championship last summer.

A product of Vincenza Academy, Okoli joined Atalanta in the summer of 2015 and made his Serie A debut with La Dea in 2022. Sportitalia and other primary Italian sources claim the final transfer fee is €15m, including add-ons.

Okoli has made 51 appearances in Serie A and trained under Roberto Mancini twice in 2022 when the former Azzurri coach called the defender for a stage at Coverciano with other promising Italian players.

Okoli has never received a senior Italy call-up but scored one goal in 14 appearances with the U21 squad.