Leicester Mercury

Major bid for Musa expected

SAUDIA ARABIANS LINKED WITH £40M BID FOR NIGERIAN, WHILE TRIO OF CLUBS TARGET AMARTEY

- By ROB TANNER leicesterm­ercury.co.uk/sport

LEICESTER City are considerin­g offers for Ahmed Musa and Daniel Amarety.

Reports have suggested Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr could be prepared to pay £40 million for Musa following his eye-catching displays for Nigeria in the World Cup, although that figure has not been confirmed.

If true, it would represent a huge profit on the £16 million City paid CSKA Moscow for Musa two years ago.

Musa has become surplus to requiremen­ts at City and made just one appearance last season before returning to CSKA on loan for the second half of the campaign. Amartey has also found it difficult to break into the City side and was used mainly as back-up right-back for Danny Simpson last season.0

The 23-year-old signed for City in a £5 million deal from FC Copenhagen in January 2016, and he was described as

one of the best young midfielder­s in the Danish league, but City now have a wealth of options in central midfield.

Amartey, pictured left, is competing with Vicente Iborra, Wilfred Ndidi, Adrien Silva, Andy King, Matty James, Hamza Choudhury and Papy Mendy for one of two positions and City are expected to streamline their large squad before the end of the transfer window.

Relegated trio West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Swansea City are all said to have enquired about his availabili­ty.

Meanwhile, Musa has been nominated for the World Cup’s best goal.

The Nigeria internatio­nal has been shortliste­d for his second goal in the victory over Iceland in the group stages.

His dribble and cool finish was considered among the best strikes of the tournament in Russia.

He went on to score the second in Nigeria’s 2-0 win, but they failed to qualify from the group stage.

It was also the first goal scored by a City player in a World Cup finals, with Harry Maguire later joining Musa with his header against Sweden.

Musa’s strike is among 18 goals that fans can view and vote for on FIFA’s website until July 23.

Voting is open to all fans, with no registrati­on required, and can be done either via the website or by using the World Cup applicatio­n.

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 ?? DARKO VOJINOVIC ?? TRANSFER TALK: Ahmed Musa celebrates scoring for Nigeria against Iceland
DARKO VOJINOVIC TRANSFER TALK: Ahmed Musa celebrates scoring for Nigeria against Iceland
 ?? CATHERINE IVILL ?? IN DEMAND: Ahmed Musa has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia club Al Nassr
CATHERINE IVILL IN DEMAND: Ahmed Musa has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia club Al Nassr
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