Leicester & Inter Table Offers for Lille's Jonathon Ikone

Leicester and Inter are both keen on signing Lille's Jonathon Ikone this summer, with the pair tabling offers for the Frenchman.

The versatile Ikone has proved a key spoke for Les Dogues ever since his £4.5m move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2018. Playing in a variety of attacking roles under Christophe Galtier, Ikone notched three goals and six assists in Ligue 1 before the league's cancellation last term.

His most productive campaign came a season prior - his first at Lille - where he registered 13 goal contributions, including ten assists, in 38 league appearances.

However, Ikone seems to be another member of the talented crop of stars at Lille who are destined for a bigger move away, and Téléfoot Chaine (via Leicestershire Live) reported during commentary of the clash between Lille and Rennes on Saturday night that both the Foxes and Nerazzurri have made offers for the Frenchman.

The source also claims, though, that Lille are unsure about allowing Ikone to leave this summer, while the player himself isn't convinced a swift exit is the right move for him.

Nevertheless, if either club are desperate to acquire Ikone's services in the current window, it's likely they'll have to stump up at least £40m to persuade the French club to sell.

This may not be a problem for Leicester, who are set to receive a financial boost in the form of £50m providing Ben Chilwell's proposed move to Chelsea doesn't fall through.

As for Inter, however, it seems strange that they'd be pursuing a player of Ikone's profile. If Antonio Conte was to remain in charge at San Siro, the Frenchman simply wouldn't be a great systematic fit for the Italian's 3-5-2.

Ikone's an attacking midfielder capable of playing on either flank, we've seen Conte switch to a 3-4-1-2 at some points during the second half of the season but with mixed results - Christian Eriksen has struggled to find his feet as the 'one' in this system.

But, if Conte departs, then that opens up a realm of possibilities for the 22-year-old Frenchman and the Nerazzurri.


Source : 90min