Luka Jovic in action for Real Madrid (Getty Images)
According to Daily Star, Leicester City have joined the race to sign Real Madrid youngster Luka Jovic in the summer.
Jovic, 22, rose through the ranks of Red Star Belgrade’s youth system in his homeland before moving to Portugal with Benfica in January 2016. Though he didn’t have a productive time in Portugal, a loan move to Eintracht Frankfurt helped him boost his confidence. He scored 9 goals in 27 games in his first season in Germany and made his move permanent.
He became an instant hit at the club and also helped the Bundesliga side reach the semifinals of the Europa League in the 2018/19 season. His impressive performances earned him a move to Madrid last summer but the Serbian has failed to live up to the expectations in the Spanish capital.
One area the manager should focus on strengthening is the centre-forward position. Star striker Jamie Vardy has been a faithful servant to Leicester in all these years, also helping them lift the Premier League title a few years back. This season, he has once again risen to the occasion, scoring 22 goals in the league so far and keeping Leicester in the hunt for a spot in the Champions League.
Apart from him, Kelechi Iheanacho is the only striker available. The former Manchester City man has also been brilliant whenever he was asked to deputize for Vardy. However, the league’s top scorer is already 33 and reaching the twilight of his career and Rodgers needs to think of the future. Thus, a centre-forward is a must in the summer.
In that regard, the Midlands club should take a gamble on Jovic. The Serbian has struggled in Madrid this term, scoring just 2 goals in 16 league appearances. He has also struggled to find form and was injured for the majority of the campaign. However, he had scored 27 goals for Frankfurt last season and the fact that he is just 22 should be considered by Rodgers.
The young striker has a lot of room for development and could develop himself under the guidance of Rodgers. And chances are there that he could do well if he gets regular game time.
The former Benfica man is one of the best young talents in Europe and could change himself with a different team. At the same time, Leicester are in need of strikers to bolster their attacking unit as Vardy is at the tail end of his career. Thus, they should make a move for Jovic and get the best out of him in the future.
