Leicester City rivalling Aston Villa in transfer pursuit of defender | OneFootball

Leicester City are among a host of clubs interested in signing Nantes centre-back Nathan Zeze in the summer transfer window.

Nathan Zeze’s career so far

The 18-year-old has come through the ranks of the French side, and he is highly-rated, having made his debut for Nantes last season.

And, the current campaign has been even better for Zeze, as he has managed to force his way into the XI, making ten appearances in Ligue 1 so far, where he has generally impressed.

The teenager has also represented France at youth level up to U18s, and he has made the pre-selection list for the Olympics later this year, where Les Bleus will be managed by Thierry Henry.

Nathan Zeze transfer latest

Unsurprisingly, Zeze’s ability and potential has started to attract attention, and Foot Mercato has revealed that the Foxes are among a host of clubs keeping tabs on the defender.

“According to our information, Leicester and Aston Villa , Stuttgart and French clubs are keeping a close eye on one of the most promising players of his generation.”

It has also been claimed that Leicester have ‘presented their project’ to the player and his family, as they look to convince him that they would be the best next step for Zeze in his career.

No fee has been mentioned for the player, but Nantes are in a strong position when it comes to what they can demand, as Zeze is under contract until the summer of 2028.

Leicester City’s summer plans

Clearly, Leicester are going to have to win promotion to have any chance of winning the race to sign Zeze, as the player wouldn’t want to drop to the Championship, whilst the Foxes won’t have the funds to complete such a deal if they remain in the second tier.

Obviously, the whole summer for Leicester is going to be dictated by what division they’re in, so it’s hard for the club to put concrete plans in place.

The PSR situation is a concern, as it seems that sales will have to be made even if Leicester do go up, but the extra revenue that comes with promotion should ensure the club are in a position to strengthen the squad at some point.

Leicester City’s defensive options

Most fans will be pleased to see that the club are targeting centre-backs ahead of the window, because it’s an area that they will have to look at if they go up.

Jannik Vestergaard has been a regular for Enzo Maresca this season, and he has done well, but his contract is up in the summer and whilst the club and player are in talks over a new deal, nothing has been agreed.

Elsewhere, Callum Doyle is only on loan at the King Power Stadium, and even though he has been featuring as a left-back, he is an option in central defence.

There would also be doubts about Connor Coady’s ability in the Premier League considering he hasn’t been a regular this season, whilst Harry Souttar is another who has not had the game time he would’ve wanted.

So, there could be plenty of activity involving the defence when the window opens.