Leicester City launch late bid to sign Portsmouth ace Josh Murphy | OneFootball

Leicester City are keen on securing a deal for Portsmouth's Josh Murphy ahead of Monday's transfer deadline.

Portsmouth’s Josh Murphy has emerged as a priority transfer target for Leicester City ahead of Monday’s 7pm deadline.

The winger joined Pompey on a free transfer last year after starring as Oxford won promotion to the Championship, and he enjoyed a brilliant first season at Fratton Park, scoring seven goals and registering 14 assists in 42 games for John Mousinho’s side.

So, his importance to the team is clear, and Pompey will be hoping to build around the 30-year-old moving forward.

Leicester City targeting late transfer move for Portsmouth’s Josh Murphy

However, it appears they could face a battle to retain Murphy, as Football Insider has revealed that Leicester are pushing to sign the player.

The update claims he is the ‘number one target’ for Marti Cifuentes in the coming days, as he looks to add more creativity to his attack.

Leicester recently sold Kasey McAteer to Ipswich, whilst there are doubts over the future of Bilal El Khannouss, so it’s no surprise that Leicester are looking to add reinforcements to the squad, even if Stephy Mavididi, Abdul Fatawu and Jeremy Monga are still on the books.

Josh Murphy is a proven Championship player and could help Leicester City’s promotion push

Cifuentes is looking to implement a fast, front-foot style of play at the King Power Stadium, and he needs quality options out wide to deliver that.

Whilst there are some excellent talents already at the club, another option would be very welcome, and Murphy is a player who has shown he can have a massive impact at this level.

He was outstanding for Pompey last season, with his numbers very impressive, particularly for a side that weren’t challenging for a top six spot.

Of course, the size of the fee will determine whether many see this as a good deal, and it’s unclear what Leicester would be willing to pay for Murphy, who has two years left on his contract.

Given his age, some will argue that Leicester should be on the lookout for a player who can do a job in the long-term, but the immediate concern is winning promotion back to the Premier League, and he will certainly help on that front.

Yet, given his importance to Pompey, they won’t want to let him go with just days left in the window, as they are running out of time to find a replacement, even if a suitable offer arrives, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.