Why Leicester City should hold onto Filip Benkovic
According to Championat (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City defender Filip Benkovic is a transfer target for Lokomotiv Moscow.
The Russian club are interested in taking the 23-year-old Foxes centre-back on loan next season. Benkovic is currently plying his trade with Championship side Bristol City, whom he joined last January.
He has played nine times for the Robins and has also contributed to the side with two goals in the process. Benkovic, who joined Leicester City back in 2018, has spent most of his time on loan with other clubs and has rarely featured for them. The young Croatian had a loan stint with Scottish giants Celtic last season and made 27 appearances across all competitions for the Hoops.
So far, Benkovic has made just two appearances for the Foxes, the most recent one during their FA Cup third-round win against Wigan, back in January. Before this, he last played for Leicester in August 2018 in a Carabao Cup tie against Fleetwood.
Despite playing just a few times for Leicester, Benkovic is an experienced campaigner, having played 76 times for boyhood club Dinamo Zagreb before moving to England two years ago. He has also scored six goals and three assists during his stint with Zagreb, giving a clear idea of his attacking abilities. However, Benkovic has failed to establish himself at King Power Stadium.
The presence of experienced defenders Jonny Evans, Wes Morgan, and Caglar Soyuncu has meant that opportunities have been rare for Benkovic. Also, with Evans and Soyuncu forming one of the most formidable defensive partnerships in the league this season, it seemed even more difficult for Benkovic.
The lack of regular game time saw Benkovic being shipped off to the lower division in order for him to get regular game time. Benkovic has, however, quickly proved his potential since arriving at Bristol City and has established himself as a regular. He has started in four of their last five league games, proving his significance in the Championship outfit’s squad.
Benkovic offers Leicester City depth in their defence
Leicester’s good defence has seen them stay in the hunt for Champions League qualification. Though the Evans-Soyuncu partnership has been excellent this season, Evans is 32. Apart from the two, Leicester just have skipper Morgan as a back-up.
Morgan is 36 now and is clearly nearing the end of his long career. With all the established defenders except Soyuncu already past their thirties, this could prove to be a major concern for the side in the foreseeable future.
At such a crucial juncture, selling a player like Benkovic will hurt them next season. Hence, the Foxes should ward off interest from elsewhere, let alone Russia. Leicester should keep more faith in him and offer him more chances as he could prove to be an excellent future signing for the club.
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Verdict
First of all, it is clear that Leicester lack depth in central defence, and offloading a young player like Benkovic will affect their performances next season. Moreover, he is only 23 and still has plenty of time to develop his game. He can also offer manager Rodgers an extra option next season when they compete in Europe.
