Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur reportedly want Baptiste Santamaria.
According to The Express, Leicester City are in the race to sign Angers midfielder Baptiste Santamaria – but face competition from Tottenham Hotspur.
It’s claimed that Leicester have been watching Santamaria in 2020, and are considering launching a move for him come the end of the season – whenever that may be.
However, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur were both tracking him before the season was suspended due to the global pandemic, and may also be keen this summer.
Leicester have made impressive moves in France over the years, bringing N’Golo Kante and Rihad Mahrez to the King Power Stadium, but the likes of Nampalys Mendy and Fousseni Diabate haven’t been quite as successful.
Santamaria, 25, has ironically been compared to Kante himself, with ABC Sevilla branding him ‘the white Kante’ due to his relentless play in the Angers midfield.
The Frenchman is predominantly a holding midfielder, and whilst he’s mostly known for his work rate and ability to cover ground, he also possesses real ability on the ball.
Spurs need another holding midfielder with Eric Dier preferring to play in defence, and Santamaria shouldn’t break the bank given that he’s playing with a mid-table Ligue 1 side.
Leicester may have Champions League football to offer, which could be a key bonus over Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho, who can offer Santamaria the chance to play for a big-name manager – meaning this could be a real battle for Santamaria’s services.
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