Why Leicester City should continue in their pursuit of Adam Ounas
As per Corriere del Mezzogiorno (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City are keen on signing Napoli star Adam Ounas ahead of the new campaign.
The report suggests that the Foxes are willing to increase his salary to €2.2m but they could face competition to secure his services as West Ham are also interested in making a move for the Algerian.
However, the report also claims that Napoli are looking to use him as a makeshift to sign Cagliari’s Nahitan Nandez this summer and are asking for €18m to consider selling him.
Profile
Born in France, Ounas flourished through the ranks of Bordeaux’s youth system and made 60 appearances for the French outfit before joining Napoli in the summer of 2017. However, he struggled for regular game time in Italy and was sent on a loan spell to Nice last summer.
The Algerian struggled with a knee injury earlier in the last campaign but managed to make 16 Ligue 1 appearances, scoring 2 goals and 4 assists before the league was called off. Ounas was also a part of the Algerian squad which won the Africa Cup of Nations last year and he excelled with 3 goals and 1 assist in the tournament.
Ounas could provide depth and quality in the wide areas for Leicester
Brendan Rodgers’ side missed out on Champions League qualification as they finished 5th last season. And one of the main reasons they struggled was the lack of depth towards the end of the campaign when several key players were injured. Thus, the manager should look to bring in reinforcements this summer to bolster the squad depth.
One key area where Rodgers needs to focus on strengthening is the wide areas. Demarai Gray, Rachid Ghezzal and Fousieni Diabate are the only three natural wingers available at the manager’s disposal. While Gray has fallen down the pecking order, the other two didn’t have a successful loan spell last season. Thus, a winger is a must in the summer.
In that regard, Ounas would be a viable option for the club. The Algerian international was in decent form last season but he has seen limited opportunities in the last few years.
He has shown immense potential despite featuring in fewer games and his inclusion to Rodgers’ squad would add depth to the wide areas. Since Gray has been strongly linked with a move elsewhere, Ounas could be a replacement for the Englishman.
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Verdict
The Algerian international is just 23 and has a huge future ahead of him. At the same time, the Foxes have limited quality in the wide areas and Ounas could provide them with that. He could also go on to represent them in the long run if he is able to replicate the good form. Thus, Leicester should manage to lure him to King Power Stadium this summer.
