Leicester reject bid for £18m ace, he ‘wanted’ Foxes exit in the summer

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Leicester City have turned down a £7 million bid from Serie A outfit Torino with Dennis Praet facing an uncertain future at the Premier League outfit, according to Tuttosport. 

With just 18 months or so remaining on his deal at the King Power Stadium, Brendan Rodgers’ benchwarming Belgian is almost certain to depart for a fee much lower than the £18 million Leicester paid for him back in 2019.

But that does not mean the Foxes are looking to merely give Praet away. 

Leicester still hope to recoup as much of that £18 million investment as possible. As such, Torino will have to do a lot better than £7 million if they are to bring the former Sampdoria playmaker back to Italy during the January transfer window. 

Dennis Praet could leave Leicester City and return to Serie A

28-year-old Praet has started just three league games all season for the 2021 FA Cup winners. He enjoyed an impressive loan spell with Torino last year and, according to Tuttosport, is ‘doing everything to return’ to the Granata. Both Torino boss Ivan Juric and sporting director Davide Vagnati, meanwhile, are big fans of the one-time Anderlecht midfielder. 

“I would have liked Praet (to stay),” Vagnati tells Tuttomercatoweb. 

“We tried. We wanted Dennis and he wanted to come. It was a legitimate choice from Leicester. They didn’t release him.”

Praet is likely to be sold at some point in the New Year, however; a new contract at the King Power not exactly on the horizon. Leicester are also looking into a potential deal for one of the 2022 World Cup’s breakout stars, Morocco playmaker Azzedine Ounahi. 

Per L’Equipe, Leicester could pay up to £40 million for Ounahi. And the swashbuckling Angers schemer, should he arrive, would only push Praet even further down Rodgers’ pecking order. 

“So confident, great feet,” former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy told the BBC of Ounahi during his fabulous display in the World Cup semi-final defeat to France. 

“Ounahi’s performance again; sensational player. 22 years of age.  I’m sure there’s a lot of admirers watching his performances in the last two or three games. I can see why (so many clubs want him). Confident, skilful, great energy, a desire to get on the ball…”