Why Leicester City must make a move for Bastos this summer
Back in July 2019, Italian website La Lazio Siamo Noi (h/t Leicester Mercury) had claimed that Leicester City were interested in signing Lazio defender Bastos. However, a move didn’t go through and he stayed put with the Serie A club.
Bastos, 28, joined Lazio from Russian Premier League club FC Rostov in 2016. He managed just 18 Serie A appearances for Lazio last season, seven of which came from the bench.
The Angolan has made just eight Serie appearances so far this term, starting only three games under Simone Inzaghi. Although Bastos has not performed poorly, the level of competition is the main reason for his inconsistent minutes on the field.
The 28-year-old is contracted to the Italian side until June 2021. With Bastos set to enter the final year of his contract, Leicester City must revive their interest in the defender during the summer transfer window.
The Foxes have enjoyed a really good campaign and are aiming to bring Champions League football to the King Power Stadium next season. They have coped well with the departure of Harry Maguire to Manchester United last summer, with Caglar Soyuncu stepping up to the plate and forming a strong partnership with Jonny Evans at the back.
Leicester City, who are third in the table, have conceded only 28 goals in 29 games. The stat is excellent and credits to Brendan Rodgers’ defensive unit. However, there is a lack of depth in the Foxes’ central defence unit.
Rodgers did manage to sign Ryan Bennett on loan from Wolves in January but with Wes Morgan, 36, in the final stages of his career and Filip Benkovic currently out on loan at Bristol City, the Midlands club’s need for options at the back next season is well documented. To put things into perspective, Leicester must add a central defender this summer and signing Bastos would make sense.
Since arriving from Rostov in 2016, Bastos has made 84 appearances for Lazio, scoring nine goals. He’s been a huge goal threat at Lazio, contributing with three goals in 14 appearances across all competitions this season as well. He may not have played much over the last couple of seasons in Serie A but there’s no denying his quality.
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Truly, the Angolan defender has the attributes to shine in the Premier League. At 28, Bastos is operating at the peak of his powers and would be a solid option to add strength to Rodgers’ defensive options at the King Power Stadium. The Foxes need more depth in their squad to potentially compete in Europe next term and the Lazio centre-back would be a smart addition.
Verdict
Bastos may not have played in England before but if he can quickly adapt to the demands of Premier League football, Leicester would have a reliable defender in their ranks.
