Leicester City close in on Monaco’s Rachid Ghezzal, beating off interest from Southampton and Watford
Foxes hold talks with Algerian winger as they look to replace compatriot Riyad Mahrez following move to Manchester City
LEICESTER CITY are close to replacing one Algerian winger with another after holding talks with Rachid Ghezzal.
The Monaco man is on the brink of a move to the Foxes after being granted permission to travel to England for talks and a medical on Friday.
Ghezzal only joined Monaco from Lyon last summer on a free transfer but has been attracting interest from a number of Premier League sides, including Leicester, Watford and Southampton.
The King Power Stadium appears to be his next destination though with 26-year-old Ghezzal linking up with manager Claude Puel who he worked with at Lyon.
Leicester have been on the lookout for another winger after selling fellow Algerian Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City for a club record £60million.
According to e, the deal for Ghezzal could be completed over the weekend.
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The younger brother of Algerian international Abdelkader Ghezzal, the Monaco midfielder began his career at Lyon, scoring 14 goals and making 20 assists in 119 appearances.
He was a free agent after failing to agree a new contract with the French side and signed a contract with Monaco last summer until June 2021.
Leicester City meanwhile are said to be open to offers for full back Danny Simpson who is not in manager Puel’s plans.
Striker Ahmed Musa, the Foxes’ record signing when he joined them for £16.6million in 2016, has left to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.