Leicester should hold on to Vicente Iborra amidst interest from Sevilla
According to Spanish source COPE Sports, Sevilla want to dip into the transfer market in January to make a move for their former player Vicente Iborra who currently plies his trade in the Premier League with Leicester City.
Iborra joined Leicester for a fee of £12 million last summer and played an important role for the Foxes in the Premier League, making a total of 19 appearances last term.
However, the Spaniard has found himself on the sidelines more often than not this season. The 30-year-old’s playtime has been restricted largely to the Carabao Cup games, having made only a solitary start in the Premier League this season. Despite putting in some impressive shifts in midfield in the Carabao Cup games, Claude Puel has been reluctant to use him in the Premier League.
Leicester have made a lukewarm start to the season and the Foxes currently sit 10th in the Premier League standings with 17 points from 12 games. Puel’s men have managed to win five of their first twelve games so far but they have crumbled to an equal number of defeats as well.
The 2015-16 Premier League champions have every reason to be disappointed with their position in the points table twelve games into the season and they will need to step up their game if they are to push the likes of Everton, Watford, Bournemouth and Manchester United for a Europa League spot next season.
Wilfried Ndidi and Nampalys Mendy have been the settled partnership for the Foxes in the heart of the midfield this season. Both the central midfielders have done well in patches but they haven’t been able to work wonders for the team by complementing each other and working in tandems.
And that is exactly why Vicente Iborra’s presence is an indispensable asset to the Foxes. He not only adds to the depth of the squad but the manager should consider giving him a few more starts in the Premier League.
A player defined by a sound technique and high levels of concentration and composure, Vicente Iborra is perhaps one of the most high-profile names in the Leicester’s squad. Having won three back-to-back Europa League titles with Sevilla, there is hardly anyone in the Foxes’ squad who is more well-versed with the methods of winning silverware at the highest level.
Ndidi and Mendy have let the team down with occasional lapses in concentration on a number of occasions in the Premier League this season, which should further prompt Puel to use Iborra on a more regular basis.
To be honest, Iborra has the ability to dictate the tempo of the game in the midfield with his flawless passing and immaculate distribution, something that Leicester have been found wanting in the Premier League. To put it in other words, his commanding presence in midfield can propel the Foxes to greater heights.
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In fact, the manager should take his numbers from the previous season into account. An efficient reader of the game in the midfield, the 30-year-old averaged 1.2 tackles, 1 interception and 2.6 clearances per game in the Premier League last season. He also averaged 1.4 dribbles and 0.7 shots per game, which are quite decent figures for a central midfielder.
Still, only 30, the hugely experienced Spaniard has a lot to offer at the highest level and he should be looked upon as a key player if Leicester are to make it to Europe next season.
