Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed why Leicester City missed out on completing the signing of their primary transfer target, with manager Enzo Maresca in particular a big admirer of the player.
Leicester transfer news & promotion hopes
The Foxes are sitting pretty ten points clear at the top of the Championship currently, so there was never a huge need to bring in new players during the January transfer window. Granted, some fresh faces certainly wouldn't have gone amiss, but this is a squad who look capable of returning to the Premier League without reinforcements between now and the end of the season.
That's not to say that Maresca wasn't trying to conduct some business in January, however, with Inter Milan midfielder Stefano Sensi reportedly flying to England to complete a move to the King Power Stadium, having stood out as a big target for many weeks during the winter. It failed to come to fruition in the end, however, with the Italian returning to his homeland.
There were also some players who were linked with a move away from the Foxes, with defender Harry Souttar seen as a target for Premier League side Everton. He ended up staying put, though, which is no bad thing, while the league leaders also resisted interest from Leeds, refusing to strengthen a rival.
A fresh update has now emerged regarding exactly why Maresca couldn't get his hands on Sensi.
Fabrizio Romano makes Stefano Sensi admission
Taking to X, Romano explained why Leicester failed to sign Sensi, with Foxes chiefs failing to come to an agreement with Inter Milan over the loan fee and the structure of the payments.
"Stefano Sensi completed medical at Leicester City but the problem was between the two clubs on loan fee and payment terms. Maresca wanted Sensi since day one of the window but deal OFF, as reported. Sensi will return to Milan on Friday."
It was clearly disappointing for Leicester to miss out on the signing of Sensi in the end, considering he would have been a sprinkling of extra quality on top of an already strong Foxes squad. The 28-year-old has made three appearances in Serie A so far this season, showing that he is good enough to play for a European footballing giant in Inter, while former teammate Kwadwo Asamoah has lauded him in the past, saying:
"Stefano Sensi? He’s a quality player, he makes a difference, and I already noticed that at Sassuolo. I’m happy with that work he’s doing for the team."
The hope is that Leicester potentially return for Sensi once the summer transfer window arrives, at which point they may have sealed a return to the Premier League. That could appeal greatly to the 28-year-old, who was seemingly happy to move to the Championship, let alone the top flight.
Leicester target waiting to board flight as report reveals hold up
The Foxes face a race against time…
ByTom Cunningham
Maresca will no doubt be frustrated by the situation, given how much he rates Sensi as a footballer, so it would be no surprise if he demanded a move for him later on in the year.