Leicester have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Montpelier attacker Stephy Mavididi, with a medical scheduled for Thursday.
The former Arsenal attacker has been on Leicester’s radar for a while, as a target to replace Harvey Barnes, and an agreement has now been reached.
Journalist Santi Aouna has revealed that Leicester will pay €7.5m (£6.4m) for the 25-year-old, as well as inserting a 10% future sell-on clause into the deal.
The former England youth international scored four times and assisted twice in Ligue 1 last season, and will return to England after spells at Juventus and Dijon since leaving Arsenal in 2018.
Mavididi will be the fifth signing of the summer for Enzo Maresca, following the captures of Harry Winks, Conor Coady, Callum Doyle and Mads Hermansen.
What will Mavididi bring to Leicester?
Although he may be seen as the direct replacement for Barnes, who recently joined Newcastle, Mavididi’s versatility means that he can play anywhere across the front line.
He has limited experience in the Championship, having had a short loan spell with Charlton, but was a top prospect at youth level and has performed fairly well in France.
Dropping down to the Championship could see him explode in front of goal, and his pace and dribbling ability will prove useful for Maresca now that Barnes has departed.
At 25, Mavididi is at a good age where he has experience under his belt, but also has the potential to improve, and if he can help the Foxes gain promotion, he could become a good Premier League level attacker.
The deal comes at a low price given that he is in the final year of his contract, and Leicester have turned a healthy profit by swapping him in for Barnes.
Leicester will continue to strengthen their squad to chase an immediate promotion back to the Premier League, and they will need Mavididi to be at his best in front of goal.