Leicester close in on £22m Castagne to replace Chilwell

Leicester City have agreed a deal worth £22 million with Atalanta for Timothy Castagne, the Belgium full-back.

Brendan Rodgers targeted the 24-year-old following the departure of Ben Chilwell to Chelsea, with Castagne able to play on both sides of the pitch.

The deal is in the final stages and Castagne should be able to join up with Rodgers’s squad ahead of the new Premier League season.

Castagne has played regularly in Serie A for the past three seasons after joining from Genk in his homeland, where he played senior football as a teenager before earning a move to Italy and being part of the Atalanta squad who reached the Champions League.

Rodgers has needed to strengthen his full-back area as England defender Chilwell has departed to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth about £50 million, while Ricardo Pereira is recovering from a serious knee injury.

James Justin, an arrival from Luton Town last season, showed promise when he switched to leftback, or Rodgers could use Castagne in that position.

Castagne’s medical is believed to have been completed and personal terms have been straightforward for him to become a Premier League player and join Kevin De Bruyne and Toby Alderweireld as Belgians in England.

Dennis Praet is also at the King Power Stadium, after being signed by Rodgers on a five-year contract last summer.

Castagne can also play in midfield to add another option for Rodgers, who has Harvey Barnes and Ayoze Perez as his out-and-out wide men for forward positions.