Leicester City are being linked with Jean Philippe Mateta who currently plies his trade in the French division for Lyon. He had spent a season on loan with second division outfit Le Havre where he found some success and the striker is being eyed by various Premier League clubs.
The Foxes finished ninth in the last term and they will be looking to improve further under Claude Puel. The French manager had a poor end to the season which brought some pressure on to him. However, he is expected to stay at the club and he will be looking to make improvements for the upcoming season.
Mateta has been in some good form as he managed 19 goals for his side last term and the forward certainly has a bright future ahead of him. The 20-year-old will be used more as a backup option for Jamie Vardy and it remains to be seen whether he will flourish in the Premier league if Claude Puel manages to get him in the transfer market.
Apart from Jamie Vardy, the Foxes have Shinji Okazaki at their disposal and the 32-year-old is set to enter in his final year of the contract so it is relatively necessary for Leicester to secure a move for a striker in the transfer market.
Matata is known for his strength and speed and can be termed as a traditional number nine. He can hold up the ball well and uses his body strength to good effect against defenders. He is handy in the air and has all the facets to become successful in the Premier League. However, he still needs to develop his game further before he gets a regular run of games in the top flight.
As reported, the Foxes aren’t the only one who are looking to sign the striker and they will have to move in quick to get their target as the likes of Everton, Newcastle United and West Ham United are vying for his signature.
Claude Puel’s real test will be in the upcoming season as now he will have a chance to get some players of his liking. They are set to lose Riyad Mahrez and that will certainly affect their attacking and creative play and they will need to replace his goals as well. They cannot continue to rely on Jamie Vardy alone and the signing of Matata will certainly add much-needed depth to their squad.
