Why Leicester City signing Otavio Monteiro would be a real boost
According to claims from Tuttomercato (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City are among a host of top clubs in Europe chasing Porto playmaker Otavio Monteiro.
As per the report, the Brazilian midfielder’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season and he has put several clubs on red alert after turning down the opportunity to put pen to paper on fresh terms with the Portuguese giants.
Italian powerhouses AS Roma, Napoli, Juventus and AC Milan are understood to be vying for the 25-year-old’s signature on a free transfer next summer while the Foxes are believed to have made an offer to the player. (Insidefutbol h/t Leicestershire Live)
Profile
Otavio Monteiro started his footballing education at Santa Cruz in his homeland before starting his professional career with Internacional in the top-flight. His potential caught the eye of Porto, who offered him a route to Europe in 2014.
After going through a couple of loan spells at Primeira Liga rivals Vitoria Guimaraes, Monteiro eventually made his first-team breakthrough at Porto during the 2016-17 season. The versatile attacking midfielder has established himself as a key cog in the club’s creative cavalry over the past few years.
He enjoyed his most productive campaign last term, contributing with 2 goals and 15 assists from 48 outings to guide Porto to a domestic double. Otavio has amassed an impressive tally of 17 goals and 45 assists in 166 appearances for the Portuguese heavyweights in all competitions so far.
More quality in attack?
Leicester City are flying high in the Premier League once again this season after narrowly missing out on a Champions League spot last term.
In truth, however, Brendan Rodgers’ side not in the same bracket as the likes of United, Man City or Liverpool as genuine title contenders. For that to change, Leicester need to add more depth and quality to their squad to go toe-to-toe with the other elite clubs in the division.
The Foxes already have some top young creative talents in the form of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes. But they need more quality alternatives, with the likes of Ayoze Perez, Kelechi Iheanacho and Dennis Praet not offering an awful lot to the set-up.
Cengiz Under has made a positive impression on loan but with just a solitary start in the PL under his belt so far, his long-term future beyond the season remains undecided. Putting things into perspective, Leicester should grab the opportunity to snap up Otavio Monteiro on a free transfer next summer.
The Brazilian’s inclusion in the mix at the King Power Stadium would hand a sizable boost to Rodgers’ dynamics in the final third. Essentially a central attacking midfielder by trade, the 25-year-old ticks the box as ideal cover and competition for Maddison and Tielemans.
Plus, his versatility to operate out wide on both flanks means that the Foxes could well land themselves an upgrade on Perez. With Demarai Gray also out of contract at the end of the season, the Porto star would make for an exciting addition to Leicester’s ranks.
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Verdict
Otavio Monteiro has backed up his strong domestic performances in Portugal with some quality displays in the Europa League and Champions League over the past few seasons. Given his exploits at Porto and with his best years still potentially ahead of him at 25, the Brazilian would be a real coup for Leicester City on a free transfer.
