Rumoured Leicester City, Chelsea target delivers clear response to transfer speculation | OneFootball

It seems as though Sao Paulo defender Lucas Beraldo is not thinking about a potential move to Leicester City at this moment in time.

That's after the 20-year-old claimed he will leave his agents and board at his current club, to deal with transfer speculation around his future.

Leicester to battle Premier League sides for Beraldo signing

Beraldo has already made 52 appearances in all competitions for his current club, helping them to win the Copa Do Brazil for the first time in their history this year.

That progress has seemingly attracted plenty of interest in the Brazil Under 20 international from England, ahead of the January transfer window.

It was recently reported that Leicester are preparing to make a €20million bid for the centre back, amid interest from Premier League trio Chelsea, Wolves and Brentford.

Subsequent updates have claimed that Sao Paulo are in no rush to sell, as they want to wait for the best offer to come in, while Beraldo's entourage are said to believe he is ready to move straight to a top club.

Now though, it appears that the player himself, would prefer to let others handle that particular situation for the time being.

Beraldo not thinking about transfer speculation for now

The Brazilian Serie A season came to an end on Wednesday night, with Beraldo helping Sao Paulo to a 1-0 win over Flamengo.

That result helped his club to secure an 11th place-finish in the Brazilian top-flight, while qualifying for the Copa Libertadores courtesy of that cup win.

With the season drawing to a close, the defender was inevitably questioned about those recent reports around his future.

However, Beraldo was quoted by Sport Witness as telling Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte: “I leave these things to my agents and the board. I have 30 days holiday and I’m going to forget about football to enjoy it with my fiancée and my family.

“We managed to win a title that São Paulo didn’t have. We’ve made history. I’m just grateful for everything I’m experiencing, being a starter in my second year as a professional at São Paulo. I can only thank them for everything they have given me and will give me.”

There are just over two-and-a-half years remaining on the 20-year-old's current contract, securing his future with Sao Paulo, until the summer of 2026.

Leicester facing a challenge to sign Beraldo despite promotion push

Following their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship at the end of last season, Leicester are in a strong position to secure an immediate return to the top-flight of English football.

The Foxes currently sit top of the second-tier table, eight points clear of the play-off places, ahead of their clash with Plymouth Argyle at The King Power Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Even so, Sao Paulo's desire to get the best deal possible, and the belief of Beraldo's entourage that he can play at the very top immediately, mean they may still have their work cut out to secure his services.

Beraldo's stance on transfer talk a fair one

You can certainly understand why Beraldo is taking this approach to speculation around his future.

The schedule is an unrelenting one for any player competing at this level, so you have to take the opportunity to switch off from the game when they come.

It seems Beraldo is doing that here, and it makes sense for him to so, especially considering he does not need to worry about his immediate future, given his contract situation with Sao Paulo.

However, that may be more frustrating for those of a Leicester City persuasion, who may be keen for a quicker conclusion to this transfer race, before another club beat them to Beraldo's signing.