Serie A clubs sound out move for promising Leicester City defender

There is a mass exodus on the cards at Leicester City as they look to rebuild following back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One.

The Foxes are likely to let plenty of talent leave in order to raise funds for a squad overhaul this summer, and one name being linked with an early transfer away is centre-back Caleb Okoli.

The Italy U21's defender was brought in when the club were in the Premier League, featuring 19 times as they fell into the Championship, though top flight football may be back on the cards for him with a host of Serie A clubs circling, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Fiorentina hold the strongest interest in the Italian, though Bologna and Cremonese have tracked him before and could make a move, the latter having just dropped into Serie B following their relegation with former Leicester star Jamie Vardy in their ranks.

Reports suggest that Fiorentina sporting director Fabio Paratici and general manager Alessandro Ferrari have met with President Guiseppe Commisso to present potential signings and Okoli, who has three years left on his contract, is one of the names included.

La Viola endured a tough season in 2025/26, finishing 15th with a meagre nine wins and one of the worst defensive records in Serie A, so a move for the defender makes sense.

Due to Leicester's financial position and the fact they have dropped into the English third tier, it could be beneficial to both clubs - with Leicester raising funds for their rebuild and Fiorentina receiving a promising defender at an affordable price estimated to be between £8-9m.

Okoli was one of the few Leicester players to come out of last season with much credit as he matured throughout, averaging 5.2 duels won per match and registering an 84% pass completion rate, both stats higher than experienced operators, such as Jamaal Lascelles.

With 51 Serie A appearances under his belt, and three call ups to the Italy senior team - without an appearance however - a move back to his homeland makes sense, as he looks to put himself on the radar of Italy manager Silvio Baldini, who has already shown that he isn't afraid to leave out the old guard for more promising talent.

He could also turn to former team mate Vardy for advice, who of course made the move to Italy when the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League.