Leicester Eye Move for Borussia Monchengladbach Forward Alassane Pléa
By Ali Rampling
Leicester have been tracking Borussia Monchengladbach striker Alassane Pléa, but it will require a substantial bid to prise him away from the Bundesliga side.
The forward has scored eight goals and chipped in with seven assists in 22 Bundesliga appearances this season, and was reportedly a target of Barcelona's in January.
The Catalan giants lined Pléa up as cover for the injured Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembélé, but opted to sign Martin Braithwaite instead.
According to French news outlet Le10 Sport, Leicester have sent scouts to watch Pléa on numerous occasions this season and are 'convinced of his talent and ability to shine' in the Premier League.
However, Gladbach will not relinquish one of their prized assets easily, and Le10 Sport report that the club will only be willing to allow Pléa to depart for an 'XXL' offer.
When the French striker was the subject of interest from Barcelona, the two clubs had reportedly agreed a fee in the region of €40-50m (around £36-45m).
Let your feet do the talking @adidasfootball #Nemeziz #Createdwithadidas pic.twitter.com/L8v80n8GKe
— Plea alassane (@alassane_plea) January 24, 2020
However, Gladbach boss Marco Rose refused to let him go, such was Pléa's importance to the club's battle for a Champions League spot.
Prior to the suspension of football, Gladbach sat in the final Champions League place, two points clear of Bayer Leverkusen in fifth, and just six points off top spot.
Pléa joined Gladbach from Nice for €25m in 2018. He signed a five year deal with the club, and still has three years remaining on his current contract.
The 27-year-old scored 12 league goals in his maiden Bundesliga campaign, and made his senior international debut for France four months after joining Die Fohlen.
Leicester will no doubt look to reinforce their attacking options in the transfer window, with the prospect of competing on both European and domestic fronts next season highly likely.
Talisman Jamie Vardy turned 33 in January, and the Foxes endured their worst run of form during this season's hectic Christmas period, potentially struggling to cope with the fixture congestion and their relatively small squad.
