Why Nicolas Tagliafico would be a fantastic fit at Leicester City
As per reports in Italy (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City are in talks to sign Ajax star Nicolas Tagliafico ahead of the new campaign.
The report suggests that should Ben Chilwell depart, the Foxes would like to make a swoop for the Argentine, who has impressed at Ajax. However, Leicester will have to face competition from Serie A side Napoli and Inter Milan, who are also keen on taking the left-back on board.
Profile
Born in Argentina, Tagliafico came through the ranks of CA Banfield and made 60 appearances with the club’s senior set-up before. He had a loan spell with Spanish side Real Murcia in the 2012/13 season. In 2015, he was signed by Independiente, with whom he won the Copa Sudamericana trophy in 2016/17.
After making 105 appearances for the Argentine outfit, he was snapped up by Ajax in January 2018 and he immediately established himself as a key member of the squad. He played a crucial role in the club’s league title and Dutch Cup title-winning campaign in 2018/29 and also helped them lift the Dutch Super Cup last season. Tagliafico has also been capped 25 times by Argentina.
Tagliafico – A replacement for Chilwell at left-back for Leicester City
Brendan Rodgers’ side finished in the 5th position in the league standings and managed to qualify for the Europa League. Despite staying in the Champions League qualification spot for the majority of the campaign, they were unlucky to finish outside the top four.
However, the manager needs to bring in reinforcements to the squad for the next season. One key area which needs to be strengthened is the left-back position. Chilwell and Christian Fuchs are the two established left-backs in the squad. Young Luke Thomas has just made it into the senior squad.
The Foxes, however, are on the verge of losing Chilwell, who has been heavily linked with a move elsewhere. And Fuchs is already 34 and reaching the twilight of his career. This leaves them with just Thomas on the left side of the defence. But he is too young to be depended upon on a regular basis. Thus, a left-back is a must in the summer.
In that regard, making a move for Tagliafico seems to be sensible. The Argentine has been in sensational form in the last couple of seasons. He managed to rack up 5 goals and 7 assists in all competitions in the 2019/20 campaign. He can be a crucial player for Leicester next season if Chilwell leaves.
He has made over 290 career appearances and was instrumental’s in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals in the last edition. And his experience at a higher level would come in handy in the Foxes for the Europa League.
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Verdict
With Chilwell set to depart and Fuchs ageing, Leicester are in dire need of a new left-back. And Tagliafico has already shown his qualities. He would be a perfect replacement for the English ace and can provide them with some much-needed quality. Thus, signing the 27-year-old would be a wise decision by the club.
