Ruud van Nistelrooy reportedly has his eyes set on his first signing as Leicester City manager.
Reports in the Netherlands suggest that Ezechiel Banzuzi is wanted by the Foxes in a £12m deal.
Banzuzi is on the radar of several clubs around Europe including Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
Having featured for the Netherlands at youth level recently too, there is plenty of excitement surrounding Banzuzi.
So, with that, here is everything you need to know about Leicester’s latest transfer target.
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Who is Ezechiel Banzuzi?
Ezechiel Banzuzi is a Dutch midfielder currently playing for Belgian side OH Leuven.
Banzuzi joined Leuven in 2023 after beginning his career at boyhood club NAC Breda in the Eredivisie.
The defensive-minded midfielder has established himself as a first-team regular and is now regularly featuring for his country at youth level.
Ezechiel Banzuzi date of birth, age, height, place of birth
Banzuzi was born on 16 February 2005, making him 19 at the time of writing.
He was born in Zwijndrecht, Netherlands and measures at six foot three inches, or 1.90m. This makes him one of the taller players in the squad should he join.
What position does Ezechiel Banzuzi play?
Banzuzi plays as a forward-thinking style of midfielder who starts from deep and likes to travel forward, carrying the ball with him.
His height and strength means he is able to dominate in the middle of the park and despite his young age is extremely experienced with over 100 career appearances already at the age of 19.
How does Ezechiel Banzuzi compare to Leicester’s current central midfield options?
The 19-year-old has been a regular for Leuven and been one of the most consistent players for the Belgian top flight outfit.
| Player | Appearances (league only) | Goals | Assists | Tackles per game | Pass completion percentage | Sofascore rating |
| Ezechiel Banzuzi | 16 | 1 | 5 | 1.9 | 83% | 7.17 |
| Wilfred Ndidi | 15 | 0 | 4 | 3.2 | 82% | 6.99 |
| Harry Winks | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1.1 | 89% | 6.91 |
| Boubakary Soumare | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 87% | 6.58 |
| Oliver Skipp | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 86% | 6.63 |
Banzuzi actually ranks better than the current regular options at Leicester in almost every area bar his past completion percentage.
His consistency in performances is noticeable too, averaging a higher rating than anyone else by some distance and is capable of scoring and providing.