Football League World
·8 February 2024
Football League World
·8 February 2024
Turkish Super Lig outfit Trabzonspor are in talks to try and recruit Leicester City midfielder Dennis Praet, according to a report from Fotomac.
The Turkish transfer window is still open at this point and doesn't look set to close until tomorrow, which has given teams who operate in that country the opportunity to try and get some last-minute deals over the line.
Leicester may have been hoping that the window was still open for them, considering they endured a very quiet January.
In fairness to the Foxes, they didn't have to do much in the transfer market considering they are currently sitting at the top of the table by a comfortable margin, having established themselves as the best side in the Championship by a considerable distance ahead of Leeds United and Southampton.
Still in contention to beat Reading's 2005/06 record of 106 points, Enzo Maresca's side are flying at the moment and look set to continue thriving, even after losing Cesare Casadei and failing to get a deal over the line for Stefano Sensi.
A further departure could be on the horizon though, with Praet being linked with a move away.
The Belgian's contract at the King Power Stadium expires at the end of the campaign and has made just nine appearances this term, registering one goal and one assist in the process.
Injury issues have majorly contributed to this, with a back issue previously proving to be a thorn in the side of the midfielder.
But he has seemingly done enough to put himself in the shop window.
The Turkish club currently have AC Ajaccio’s Tim Jabol-Folcarelli and Leicester's Praet on their radar according to Fotomac, but with the former club demanding a high fee for Jabol-Folcarelli, they could potentially turn their attention towards Praet.
Praet's contract situation is seen as an "advantage" by Trabzonspor, with the player potentially set to be available for a reasonably small fee considering his stay at the King Power looks set to come to an end in the summer unless an extension is handed out.
And considering how little the midfielder has played for the second-tier league leaders this term, a contract offer may not be on the table anytime soon.
With their other target potentially set to cost too much, a Trabzonspor move for Praet can't be ruled out at this point.
Letting Praet go at this point may not be a good idea considering they haven't brought in Inter Milan's Sensi.
They also lost Casadei, a midfielder who can contribute in the final third like Praet can.
With this in mind, Leicester should probably be looking to retain the Belgian at this point.
However, it's unclear what the Foxes' financial fair play situation is at the moment.
If they are at risk of breaching the rules, they should be prepared to cash in on Praet, who may leave the King Power Stadium for nothing in the summer anyway.