Why Leicester City should make a move for Lazio’s Thomas Strakosha
According to Italian outlet Il Tempo (h/t The Leicester Mercury), Leicester City are interested in signing Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha ahead of the summer transfer window.
Thomas Strakosha, 24, broke into the Lazio first-team back in the 2016/17 campaign. Since then, he has been a regular fixture in goal for Lazio, featuring over 150 times for the club. The Albania international has already made 26 appearances in Serie A this term, conceding only 23 goals.
The report (h/t The Leicester Mercury) adds Tottenham are also interested in Strakosha, who is tied down with Lazio until 2022. The Serie A club want to tie their No.1 goalkeeper to a new contract.
Meanwhile, Leicester City have heavily impressed under Brendan Rodgers this season, especially with attacking players like Jamie Vardy, Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Ayoze Perez linking up in the best possible way and helping them to third place in the table. They have scored 58 goals in 29 games, which is really good.
At the other end too, they have been impressive. They have the third-best defensive record in the league, conceding only 28 goals despite the departure of Harry Maguire to Manchester United in the summer. Caglar Soyuncu has stepped up following Maguire’s sale, forming a strong partnership with Jonny Evans at the back, with full-backs Ben Chilwell and Ricardo Pereira also doing well.
Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has also had a very good season at the King Power Stadium, playing a key role behind the Foxes’ having a resolute defence.
He is a highly experienced goalkeeper, having made 330 appearances for Leicester since joining from Leeds United back in 2011. The Dane was at the heart of the club’s fairytale Premier League title triumph in the 2015/16 campaign under then-manager Claudio Ranieri.
However, Schmeichel is 33 years old, so it is fair if manager Brendan Rodgers starts thinking about his future, even if the goalkeeper appears to have a couple of years left at the top yet. Leicester do have Danny Ward, who arrived from Liverpool for £12.5m in 2018, but the Welshman has barely challenged Schmeichel for a place in the starting XI.
That being said, Thomas Strakosha would be a smart fit at the King Power Stadium. Strakosha has won the Copa Italia (2012-13, 2018-19) and Supercoppa Italiana (2017, 2019) with Lazio, racking up more than 150 appearances across all competitions. In the process, he has kept 46 clean sheets and is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A.
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The Albania international has also made 12 appearances for his national side and has immense experience at the highest level. Strakosha has been a regular member of his club for the past four years and he would certainly be a boost for Leicester, given his displays between the sticks in Italy.
Verdict
The Athens-born star is an established shot-stopper and would be a good option to compete with Schmeichel for the No.1 spot at Leicester next season.
All in all, Strakosha could prove to be a shrewd investment as a successor to the ageing Schmeichel at the King Power Stadium.
