Leicester City have reportedly rekindled their interest in Marseille winger Florian Thauvin.
The 27-year-old French wide-man was subject to interest from the Foxes last year and with Brendan Rodgers keen to add more attackers to his squad, Thauvin could prove a valuable addition should he move to the King Power Stadium this summer.
Leicester aren't the only club in the hunt for him though according to www.Leicestershirelive.co.uk with Premier League rival Aston Villa also rumoured to be looking at the 2018 World Cup winner, as well as Serie A side Atalanta looking to claim his signature.
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What type of player is Thauvin?
Predominantly playing on the right side of attack, Thauvin seems to be a natural goalscorer, scoring 22 league goals back in the 2017/18 season and 18 in all competitions the season after for Les Phocéens.
From volleys to curling free-kicks, Thauvin is capable of scoring any type of goal and with Rodgers primarily targeting a winger who can add goals to the Foxes attack, it seems like a no-brainer on paper.
Likened to Arjen Robben for his ability to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, the wide-man will certainly tick all the boxes for Rodgers who favours wingers who play on the opposite side of their stronger foot, allowing them to cut and drive inside towards the goal.
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Is signing Thauvin a risk?
Although the prospect of signing the winger sounds promising for Leicester, there are still some areas for concern.
First of all, Thauvin's previous experiences of Premier League football are not fond ones - just ask Newcastle United fans.
His inability to adapt to life in England during his first spell despite being one of Steve McClaren's marquee signings during his short-lived spell was highlighted - making just 13 league appearances and failing to register a goal or assist in any of those games before returning to France just six months later.
Not only this but Thauvin has only recently returned from long-term injury in March. After suffering ankle ligament damage in September 2019, Thauvin returned six months later to make two appearances before the coronavirus pandemic brought a hold to the Ligue 1 season, which was subsequently resulted in the league being abandoned.
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Who else is interested and how much will he cost?
As mentioned earlier, Leicester aren't the only people interested in Thauvin with Aston Villa and Atalanta also looking to him to bolster their squad.
After being quoted in the region of £50m last season by Andre Villas-Boas' side last season, it is rumoured that Thauvin's asking price has reduced significantly, and is available for as little as £13.5m this summer.
According to reports from Italy Atalanta are rumoured favourites and with Champions League football on offer next season, may be able to win the competition for his signature.
Conflicting reports on the other hand have also suggested that Gian Piero Gasperini is not willing to spend that much to add him to his already impressive attacking line up, leaving the door open for Leicester to make a move, should they choose.
