St. Pauli reject Leicester City offer for defensive leader Eric Smith | OneFootball

The Hamburger Abendblatt reports that Leicester City have seen an offer for St. Pauli defender Eric Smith rejected. The Foxes evidently considered the 28-year-old as an ideal replacement for Wilfred Ndidi. Smith is reported to have been interested accepting an offer that would have doubled his salary, but the Bundesliga outfit nixed the deal.

Smith has been deputizing as St. Pauli’s captain whilst the Kiezkicker await the return of skipper Jackson Irvine from injury. Smith has logged the maximum 180 minutes of action in St. Pauli’s two Bundesliga fixtures thus far this season, scoring a crucial late equalizer in last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Borussia Dortmund. It’s highly unlikely that Smith’s club will let him go.

Leicester presently find themselves frustrated in their efforts to acquire two Bundesliga professionals. The EFL Championship side also wish to secure the services of Borussia Mönchengladbach keeper Jonas Omlin, yet have been rebuffed due to the fact that Gladbach wish to sell, not loan, their former captain. Florian Plettenberg recently reported that the Omlin deal has a “50-50” chance of happening.

FCSP sporting director Andreas Bornemann is quoted in the Abendblatt article, emphasizing that the Hamburg Pirates won’t be permitting players to jump ship this weekend. Smith – with central defenders David Nemeth and Karol Mets both out injured – remain heavily reliant on Smith at this stage in the season. Bornemann is quoted as saying that “all key players are remaining put.“

GGFN | Peter Weis