Leicester City are reportedly close to bolstering their central midfield options with the signing of Sampdoria midfielder Dennis Praet.
According to The Guardian, the Foxes have agreed personal terms with the Belgian international and are in advanced talks with his current employers. Further reports from Leicestershire Live suggest that the deal will be a loan with an option to buy for a fee of around £23m at the conclusion of the season.
AC Milan and Valencia are also thought to be interested in signing Praet but Leicester appear to be the frontrunners for his signature at the current time with the midfielder being left out of Sampdoria's squad for Wednesday's pre-season friendly against Spezia.
Successful stint in Italy
Praet, 25, has plied his trade in Serie A for the past three seasons. A hard-working and creative midfielder, the former Anderlecht man has made 106 appearances for Sampdoria, scoring four times and providing six assists.
He has also managed to accumulate plenty of European experience in his career having made a total of 26 appearances in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Although, he has yet to really establish himself on the international stage by earning just three caps for Belgium.
Friendly faces in Leicester
Despite his relative inexperience internationally, should he arrive at the King Power Stadium, he could potentially be greeted by a familiar face. Formerly a teammate of Youri Tielemans at both Anderlecht and with Belgium, he would link up with his compatriot in the East-Midlands, with the former AS Monaco man himself securing a permanent switch to the club for a club-record fee earlier this summer.
Praet would become Leicester's fourth signing of the summer under Brendan Rodgers following the prior arrivals of Tielemans, Ayoze Perez and James Justin.
There are also likely to be some exits from the club as the transfer deadline edges close. With Praet and Tielemans both arriving this summer, the club now have plenty of options in the centre of midfield. As a result, the futures of Matty James, Andy King and Adrien Silva all look uncertain.