A recent report from Calciomercato mentions that Leicester City have been told to increase their offer for AS Roma winger Cengiz Under this summer. It is believed that the Italian outfit has now deemed the Turkish wing wizard as non-transferable but could be persuaded if the Foxes can engineer a bid worth more than €25m for the player during this summer transfer window. However, the East Midlands outfit are unwilling to pay over €23m which could be a stumbling block in their pursuit of the Serie A playmaker (via Calciomercato).
Under’s Injury-Plagued Campaign At The Italian Capital
The Balikesir-born wide player encountered a frustrating season at Rome as his progress was disrupted by a serious muscle injury and later, a calf problem. The Turkish international ended the 2019-20 campaign making a total of 23 appearances for Paulo Fonseca’s side, netting three goals and picking up three yellow cards in all competitions.
Despite his recent injury struggles, the 23-year-old showed remarkable resilience to average 1.5 shots, 1.5 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game in the Serie A last season. However, Under needs to be more careful with his ball-distribution after making only 77.6% of his attempted passes in the Italian top-flight (stats via whoscored).
This season could be a make or break period for the Turkish dribbler at the highest level, especially if he ends up joining the Foxes this summer. Multiple injuries have derailed his career in Europe, so it’s high time that he started proving his fitness this season or else risk being demoted to the lower leagues of European football in the years to come.
What Will The Turkish Wing Wizard Bring To The Table?
Under possesses a sensational burst of pace that allows him to get an advantage over his marker out on the wide areas. The 21-capped Turkish international excels at making some intelligent runs towards the opposition penalty box but he needs to score and create goals regularly at the top level if he intends to break into the world-class bracket someday.
Should The East Midlands Club Bring Under On Board This Summer?
His poor injury history makes him a risky acquisition for the Foxes to contemplate on this summer. However, if Brendan Rodgers is confident about getting the best out of him, then he should consider taking a leap of faith on the talented winger.
Under will add more pace and goals to Leicester’s frontline if he can rediscover his old form in the coming seasons. He will also provide some healthy competition for the likes of James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, Marc Albrighton, Ayoze Pérez and Demarai Gray in the race to secure a place on the wings in Rodgers’ first-team during this campaign. All in all, it is only logical for the Foxes to try and land a player of Under’s quality with just a few weeks remaining in this ongoing transfer window.
