According to a report by Football Insider (h/t The Scottish Sun), Leicester City are keen on signing Carlisle United teenager Jarrad Branthwaite.
The 17-year old centre-back has come under the Foxes’ radar after breaking into the League Two outfit’s first team this season.
Meanwhile, Leicester’s Premier League rivals Newcastle United, along with Scottish sides Celtic and Rangers, also are in the hunt for the defender, the report adds.
Branthwaite has so far made 13 appearances for Carlisle in all competitions this season. The youngster also etched his name in the history books by becoming the club’s youngest ever goal-scorer, after netting against Morecambe in the EFL Trophy in November.
At 6ft 4inch, Branthwaite is an imposing presence at the back despite the fact that he is still a teenager. Born in Carlisle, Branthwaite joined his hometown club at the age of 8, slowly progressing through the ranks and finally earning a spot for himself within the senior side.
The defender is tied to the club until 2021. However, the Foxes are confident that they can secure the potential star’s signature ahead of the winter transfer window, the report claims.
Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City are in scintillating form this season as they stay second in the table, 10 points short of league leaders Liverpool.
Most of their success on the pitch has to be attributed to a strong defence that has conceded just 11 goals in 17 games – the least by any Premier League side this season.
For the Foxes, Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu have formed a formidable pairing at the back. Though their defence has been exceptional so far, there are certain issues to be resolved in that department.
That said, the Foxes’ interest in young Branthwaite does not come as a big surprise. Since taking over the reins at the King Power Stadium, Rodgers has failed to bring in a new defender in place of Harry Maguire, who departed to Manchester United last summer.
With the season almost nearing its half and the January transfer window around the corner, Rodgers needs defensive reinforcements since he has just 4 defenders at his disposal as of now.
Apart from Evans and Soyuncu, the Foxes have veteran Wes Morgan and the young Filip Benkovic. However, Morgan is already 35 and way past his prime, while Benkovic is still raw and needs more time to adapt.
Meanwhile, an injury or a dip in form to their first-team players is all that is needed to ruin Leicester’s good run of form. Hence, they need a defender amongst their ranks.
By signing Branthwaite, Rodgers would get close to finding a suitable future replacement for Maguire.
Also, with the youngster’s arrival, Rodgers will have a variety of options in his defence. Hence, Leicester planning a move for the teenage centre-back would be a good future investment.
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