Leicester City Opinion: Why the Foxes should go all out for Andrea Petagna?

According to the Guardian, Leicester City have sent scouts to Italy to watch Andrea Petagna and are preparing an offer of €20m for the striker.

Andrea Petagna, 23, has enjoyed a fantastic season on loan at SPAL from Atalanta, bagging 14 goals in in the Serie A. His blistering form while on loan at SPAL earned him his first Italy cap last month.

However, the situation could be a bit complex, as SPAL have an obligation to buy the Italian forward for €10m if they avoid relegation, adds the report. That should not deter Leicester City and the Premier League outfit should go all out to sign the 23-year-old in the summer.

The Foxes have done reasonably well following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers, with the Irishman winning four out of seven matches in the league. But, their recent performances against Newcastle and West Ham have made it clear that Rodgers’ side need more firepower in the attack.

Jamie Vardy has burst into life under Rodgers but beyond him, Leicester lack a prolific goalscorer in their ranks. Kelechi Iheanacho has failed to live up to the billing at the King Power Stadium, while Shinji Okazaki’s contract expires at the end of the season.

And with Vardy having turned 32 earlier this year, the Midlands club do need to sign another striker in the summer. Someone who could take up the mantle of replacing Vardy long term and thus, Petagna is certainly is a viable target for Leicester.

Petagna is an old-school centre-forward, who likes to play with his back to goal. He is exactly the polar opposite of Vardy in terms of their characteristics and style of play. While Vardy is always on the move and loves to make runs in behind the defenders, Petagna is extremely efficient in holding up the ball and bringing others into play.

The 23-year-old Italian is known for his ability to get into promising positions and link-up play around the box. In fact, he has been one of deadliest strikers in the Serie A this season, showing his predatory instincts inside the box. Petagna packs a lot of power in his left foot, while he is also a threat from set-pieces.

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This could be beneficial for a Leicester side, who have scored just a handful of goals from set-pieces this campaign. Plus, the one-cap Italy international will help ease the burden off the shoulders of Vardy and co.

Verdict

The Foxes need more outlets for goals from next season and signing Petagna would be a huge statement of intent from Brendan Rodgers.