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Leicester City are in the transfer market this summer and look really willing to splash the cash, with a £22million bid confirmed for a striker. A striker seems to be the priority with a new partner for Jamie Vardy on the agenda for Claudio Ranieri.
The player that has been bid for is Ahmed Musa of CSKA Moscow. Musa is predominantly a striker, but can also play on either wing, with his pace one of his main attributes.
Moscow manager Leonid Slutskiy said:
“The British club offered a bit less than €30m,” he told Match TV. “Musa came to me a few days ago and asked when he [Ranieri] is back for the holidays and I told him I do not know, I do not know Ranieri.”
When pushed on whether the two clubs were holding talks he added: “I do not know for sure. It is the work of our management but I think the probability is high.”
Musa has scored 13 goals and made 5 assists in 30 Russian Premier League games this season. Those stats show that he is not the most prolific player, but it is clear that Ranieri views his attributes as well suited to the Premier League. He has also played only half of those games as a striker, with the rest coming out wide right.
Musa plays with a similar style and attitude to that of Vardy - although he less consistent. Musa has, at times, looked a class above the rest of the Russian league, only for him to struggle to impress the following week. If Ranieri can bring out a consistency in the striker, like he managed to do with the rest of his squad last season, then Leicester have a real player on their hands. Musa has particularly impressed in the latter stages of the season, helping CSKA to another league title.
Musa will struggle to impose himself physically on the Premier League, with a very small build and standing at just 170cm, he rarely gets involved in aerial duels.
Musa is only 23 and has more than 50 caps for Nigeria, he is highly thought of in his country and considering what he has already done at his age, he could very well develop into a top class player, he just needs the right manager and the right players around him to bring out that quality. Leicester could very well be a good platform for him to succeed, but partnering with Vardy is unlikely to work - the two players share too many attributes - this makes we think Musa is more likely to play on the left wing should he join.
Considering the bid has been confirmed by CSKA’s manager, this is a very reliable story and you can expect to hear more about it soon. We’d say backing this transfer to happen via free betting online would be a good idea as Ranieri seems determined to get his man.
