Unpopular left-back The Gers are looking to add Luke Thomas to their left-back lineup.
As the January transfer window draws to a close, Leicester City has not finalized any signings for new players because head coach Enzo Maresca has insisted that players must leave before any business can be done.
Although Chelsea’s termination of Cesare Casadei’s loan agreement has offered the Italian flexibility in the mid-season transfer market, Luke Thomas’s possible departure may free up additional space.
Maresca is not currently considering the left-sided player, and he may be leaving King Power Stadium again.
Rangers approach Thomas, the defender for Leicester
And Rangers, led by Philippe Clement, may be Thomas’ next destination as they compete to recruit the left-back.
This is in line with a story from Football Insider, which states that the Scottish Premiership title-chasing Gers have made an approach for the left-back, whose contract with Premier League team Sheffield United was recently terminated.
Thomas made 12 appearances for the Blades in the top division of English football, but the 22-year-old is expected to go again since he cannot fit into Enzo Maresca’s plans or playing style.
Additionally, Thomas has received a loan offer from Rangers, who have seen present left backs Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz connected with moves away from Ibrox. However, the offer does not include a buyout option since, according to the source, the kind of cash the Foxes would want to get for Thomas’s departure would be too high.
According to Sports Illustrated, Sunderland has also recently shown interest in perhaps landing a deal for Thomas’ services, however it’s unknown if the Black Cats have really made a bid.
Despite playing 17 times in the Premier League the previous season, Thomas left Leicester in the summer because Maresca does not use attacking wing-backs in his lineup.
The attack-minded Thomas was able to return to the Premier League with Sheffield because the left-back in Italian’s preferred configuration tucks in to create a back three, allowing the regular right-back Pereira to shift into midfield.
Despite the fact that Chris Wilder hardly used Thomas after re-appointing him as United manager in December, he allowed him to return to Leicester in order to make room for a domestic loan.
Thomas’s transfer to the Rangers might be best for everyone.
In Leicester’s left-back hierarchy, Thomas is behind James Justin and Callum Doyle, so it makes sense to try to get him out of the door again before the transfer window ends.
The Rangers should at least give it some thought if they can give Thomas a chance to play football on the first team. Thomas needs to be participating in games rather than watching from the sidelines.
Before next week’s deadline, a number of teams are probably going to be interested in Thomas; the only thing left to do is choose the best fit for him as he moves forward in his career.
But with European football and the Scottish Premiership still up for grabs, Thomas might actually give Rangers something by rotating with either Barisic or Yilmaz, with one of them probably leaving if the Leicester player signs.
