According to a report from UOL (via Sport Witness), Leicester City are willing to pay more than Zenit St Petersburg for Lucas Beraldo.
The Foxes will be preparing for the transfer window, which will begin in two weeks.
This phase could be critical for many Championship sides seeking to gain promotion to the Premier League, including Enzo Maresca’s side, who are currently performing admirably but are not guaranteed to finish in the top two at the end of the season.
At this moment, both Ipswich Town and Leeds United are in the running for automatic promotion, and while the latter’s recent dip in points will help the Foxes, the latter cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
They completed some fantastic summer deals, and the money they garnered from sales aided that, with the departures of players like Harvey Barnes and James Maddison potentially helping them pay some winter additions at the King Power Stadium.
The most recent information about Leicester City’s interest in Lucas Beraldo.
Beraldo is one player who has been linked with a January move to the Midlands club, with the central defender potentially in line to join Maresca’s squad.
When healthy and available, the 20-year-old has been a regular starter for So Paulo, and he has piqued the interest of a couple of European clubs.
According to UOL, Zenit is willing to pay $18 million to entice the young defender away from Brazil, and it is a sizable offer that So Paulo has rejected.
They want at least $20 million for him, and while it’s unclear how much the Foxes are willing to offer, they are willing to spend more than Zenit, which might give them a decent chance of closing this deal.
According to the same report, So Paulo needs to cash in on a player to assist their cash flow.
Leicester City should think carefully before paying more than $20 million on Lucas Beraldo.
Spending more than $10 million on a second-tier talent is risky, let alone $20 million.
This is why the Foxes must first loan him out before being obligated to buy him for a predetermined sum if they are promoted.
Even if they generated a decent amount of revenue from departures throughout the summer, it is the only contract they should be looking at right now.
They could pursue an option to buy, but an obligation to buy if promoted may be the only acceptable arrangement to Sao Paulo, which will want to be fairly assured of a decent amount of money.
Leicester are not guaranteed promotion, but it is likely.
