Is Aston Villa’s Leonardo Ulloa deal more likely than Newcastle United’s Islam Slimani hopes?

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Leicester City striker Leonardo Ulloa is a target for Championship giants Aston Villa, while Premier League rivals Newcastle United want Islam Slimani.

Despite the recent addition of Fousseni Diabate from Ligue 2 side Gazelec Ajaccio, it appears that Leicester City are unlikely to let both Islam Slimani and Leonardo Ulloa leave the King Power Stadium this month.

The Sun (page 50, 11^th January) confirmed as much with the out-of-favour duo both heavily linked with a move away before the close of the January transfer window.

The Telegraph reports that Aston Villa are hoping to land Ulloa on loan for the rest of the season, with the 31-year-old Argentine having scored at a good rate in the Championship during his previous spell at Brighton.

And a recent report from the Shields Gazette linked striker-searching Newcastle United with Leicester’s £29 million record signing Slimani.

But, with just a week to go before the end of the transfer window, do Aston Villa or Newcastle have the better chance of getting a deal over the line?

Well, as it stands, it appears that Slimani has a bigger part in Claude Puel’s plans than Ulloa. The Algerian has at least featured in a couple of Leicester’s recent fixtures, starting the FA Cup clash with Fleetwood Town and scoring against Huddersfield in the first game on 2018.

In contrast, that 3-0 taming of David Wagner’s Terriers was the last time Ulloa appeared in a matchday squad for Leicester.

Given the choice, Puel would surely rather Ulloa leave for Villa than Slimani for Newcastle; particularly as both deals would likely be loans.