Leicester City are interested in a £50m midfielder with Champions League experience.
Steve Cooper’s side are looking to adapt to life without Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after he completed a £30m move to Chelsea.
The 25-year-old wanted to connect back up with former Foxes boss Enzo Maresca, following the Italian boss achieving promotion from the Championship via winning the league.
Dewsbury-Hall had an immense season with Leicester City as he managed 26 goal contributions from midfield.
They have shown interest in former Coventry City midfielder Callum O’Hare as a cheap option to replace Dewsbury-Hall following his release from the Championship outfit.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid has also signed for the Foxes after his release from Fulham.
Dewsbury-Hall’s performances and numbers that will be difficult to replicate for Cooper’s side, however, they have targeted a midfielder who could fit the bill ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
- READ MORE: What Kieran Dewsbury-Hall thought of Steve Cooper after meeting him right before Leicester City exit
Leicester City ‘line up’ move for Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley
Cooper is reportedly interested in bringing Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley to the King Power Stadium, per The Sun.
The Danish international is reportedly available for £50m, a fee that has since put off Premier League rivals Brighton from pursuing a deal.
O’Riley shone for Celtic this season, scoring 18 and assisting 13 in just 37 league appearances, getting seven goal contributions in his last five matches.
He also contributed three assists in six Champions League appearances, one of which was against Atletico Madrid.
The midfielder signed for the Scottish outfit from MK Dons back in January 2022 for a fee just over £1m.
- READ MORE: Leicester City ready to pay £22m to sign ‘excellent’ player as Steve Cooper’s third signing
Is Matt O’Riley the perfect Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall replacement for Leicester City
O’Riley’s 2023/24 stats speak for themselves when considering whether he can compete with meeting the incredibly high standards set by Dewsbury-Hall in the Championship winning campaign.
Although his electric form comes from the Scottish Premiership, he will likely be able to replicate this in the Premier League after getting a taste of elite football in the Champions League, as well as his two caps with Denmark.
Positionaly, he is also of a similar mould to Dewsbury-Hall and will be able to slot perfectly into a midfield three alongside Harry Winks and Wilfred Ndidi.
A £50m fee is certainly on the more bloated side, however if the Foxes put pressure on Celtic, O’Riley could force the move to take place on his side and potentially lower that fee.
This move would very much see Leicester City putting all of their eggs in one basket, but there are very few Dewsbury-Hall replacements out there that could reach the levels of O’Riley.