Why Leicester City must snap up Omar Elabdellaoui in the summer
According to Fos Online (h/t The Leicester Mercury), Leicester City sent a scout to watch Olympiacos right-back Omar Elabdellaoui in action against Arsenal in the first leg of the Europa League round of 32 on Thursday.
Omar Elabdellaoui, 28, has been one of Olympiacos’ best players this season, racking up a goal and an assist in 32 appearances across all competitions. He has been a crucial part of Olympiacos’ backline as they lead the standings after the completion of 24 games.
The Norway international, who arrived at the Karaiskakis Stadium from Eintracht Braunschweig in 2014, will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Leicester City have performed really well in what has been Brendan Rodgers’ first full season in charge of the club. The Foxes currently lie third in the table but with the Premier League title almost wrapped up by Liverpool, Rodgers and co. must aim to bring Champions League football to the King Power Stadium next season.
The Foxes boast of a brilliant defensive record in the division, having conceded just 27 goals in 27 games, despite selling star defender Harry Maguire to Manchester United in the summer. Following Maguire’s departure, Caglar Soyuncu has stepped up and formed a strong partnership at the back with Jonny Evans.
Full-backs Ricardo Pereira and Ben Chilwell have also impressed, with the former bagging three goals and two assists in 25 games. Young James Justin is the only player available apart from Ricardo to cover the right-back spot and this could trouble the Foxes in the future. James is only 21 and has featured only in three league games in his debut campaign in the Midlands.
With a lack of depth in that position, Rodgers has to bring in reinforcements before the new campaign begins. Hence, the manager would be wise to sign Omar Elabdellaoui.
Elabdellaoui is no stranger to English football, having picked up by Manchester City while playing for local side Skeid back in 2008. However, he failed to break into Manchester City’s senior team and left the club permanently to join Eintracht Braunschweig in 2013. The 28-year-old made his first appearance in English football back in January 2017 after arriving on loan at Hull City from Olympiacos. In all, he made eight league appearances for Hull.
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The Norway international of Moroccan descent has made over 100 appearances for Olympiacos, gaining rich experience in the Champions League as well. On a potential free transfer in the summer, Elabdellaoui would be a smart addition to Leicester’s defensive ranks.
Verdict
Elabdellaoui has performed very well for Olympiacos over the last few seasons. He would bring depth and competition to Leicester’s right-back spot next campaign. Thus, the Foxes must secure the Norwegian’s signature.
