Leicester City are looking into the prospect of buying Hull City’s 32-year-old goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic as cover for Kasper Schmeichel. The Tigers have rejected an initial £2m bid for the keeper and insist Jakupovic is only available at the right price.
Leicester City banked £3.5m arising out of the sale of 28-year-old Ron-Robert Zieler to Stuttgart and are looking at adding a backup goalkeeper to Schmeichel. The 32-year-old Jakupovic could be a cheap alternative with the adequate know-how of the Premier League and is known for his penalty-saving prowess.
With a year left on his contract, The Tigers are willing to offer a two-year extension, in order to strengthen their bargaining hand. With an array of ageing goalkeepers in their roster – 32-year-old David Marshall and 35-year-old Allan McGregor besides Jakupovic – Hull are looking to move at least one of them on, with the 32-year-old Jakupovic drawing the most interest.
Selling David Marshall is not seen as an option having spent £3.5m on the Scottish international last summer. McGregor is trusted enough to deputise for first-choice Marshall if the need arises.
Although selling Jakupovic won’t be the most popular move considering he enjoys the backing of a sizeable chunk of Tigers fans, but offloading at least one of the three goalkeepers, on the wrong side of 30, is by and large considered to be the more prudent move.
Incoming Russian manager, Leonid Slutsky, courtesy his friendship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, is set to receive help by way of personnel from Chelsea’s burgeoning loan army and advice from the highest quarters, from people boasting considerable nous and nuance of the Premier League.
“Mr Abramovich is my friend and he is helping me achieve my dream, it’s a challenge for him also,” Slutsky said in April. “He is like my agent, the best agent in the world.”
Having pocketed £3.5m from the sale of Zieler, The Foxes are apprehensive of coughing up almost the same amount for the 32-year-old Jakupovic who would stand in for their current No. 1 Kasper Schmeichel. Interestingly, Schmeichel was rumoured to follow his father’s footsteps and join United this summer in the wake of reports doing the rounds that David De Gea is on his way to Real Madrid. But both the rumours seem to have died down as of now.
The 32-year-old Jakupovic has an apparent weakness in collecting crosses and could expose his team during corners and set-pieces. His ball distribution is nothing to write home about either and just about makes the grade as a stand-in keeper. It remains to be seen whether Craig Shakespeare returns for the Swiss national with an improved bid.
