Leicester City have bolstered their defensive ranks by completing the signing of Dinamo Zagreb defender Filip Benković.
The 21-year-old Croatian centre-back has signed a five-year contract with the Foxes for a fee reported to be around £13million.
He will compete with Wes Morgan, Jonny Evans, Yohan Benalouane and Harry Maguire, despite the latter continuing to be linked with a deadline day move to Manchester United.
Leicester are also expected to recruit fellow central defender Çağlar Söyüncü from SC Freiburg before Thursday evening’s deadline.
'I like the club very much'
Benković arrives after spending the early years of his career in the Croatian top flight. Despite the step-up in quality in the Premier League, he believes that Leicester City is the perfect place to continue his development.
Talking to LCFC.com, he said: “The ambitions of Leicester City are so big. I like the Club very much and I think it’s a very good step for me to the next level. I’m very happy to be here."
Foxes' boss Claude Puel also told how useful Benković could potentially be in the future. He said: "Filip is an exciting young player who has the potential to develop even more at Leicester City Football Club. I know he will give us some great options and competition in the squad and I’m delighted to have him here.”
Young age but vast experience
In spite of his youth, Benković arrives in the East Midlands with a useful amount of experience. He has not yet made his senior debut for Croatia but has made five appearances for the U21s, scoring twice.
He has also made 88 appearances for Dinamo Zagreb since his breakthrough season in 2015/16. Benković has also notched seven appearances in the UEFA Champions League, including playing in all but one of Dinamo’s group games in 2016.