Club confirm 'overseas transfer' as right-back statement sparks Leicester City theory
Leicester City look to be closing in on their first signing of the January transfer window as Ruud van Nistelrooy seeks reinforcements in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Foxes are in the bottom three after five successive top-flight defeats, but new boss van Nistelrooy has been told he has money to spend this month and looks to be first bolstering an area of particular concern to fans - his leaky defence.
Leicester have already conceded 44 goals this term, a worrying figure only beaten by Wolves on 45 and matched by rock-bottom Southampton, and the Dutchman is keen to address the issue.
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On Saturday, Nikkan Sports reported that a City scout was at a J-League fixture to keep an eye on Kashiwa Reysol right-back Hiroki Sekine. And today the club announced that the 22-year-old was leaving to join an overseas team.
Although Leicester were not named as the "overseas team", they remain favourites to land a player who recently received his first senior Japan call-up after impressing with his all-round showings on the right side of defence.
Reysol announced on X: “The player will be leaving the team in order to prepare for a transfer to an overseas club. We plan to complete the necessary procedures locally and then enter into a formal agreement. We will provide further notice once the agreement has been concluded.”
Top-flight clubs have been drawn to the J League in search of value-for-money talent after the recent success of signings from Japan. Kaoru Mitoma has been hugely impressive for Brighton, while Celtic have Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda as prominent members of their title-chasing team.
A member of Japan’s Olympic team, 6ft 2in Sekine has caught the eye despite playing just 30 J League matches so far in his career, but has impressed in that short time since his arrival from Takudai.
It is unclear what Leicester are prepared to pay for a player still relatively inexperienced and with no knowledge of European football, but they are in need of reinforcements on the right side of their defence as James Justin struggles to play through a period of poor form and the continued absence of Ricardo Pereira through injury.
