Leicester City target Ezechiel Banzuzi is set to leave Leuven at the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign, opening the door to a Premier League switch.
The 19-year-old has caught the eye of many top-flight suitors this season, with the Foxes and Brighton & Hove Albion keeping tabs during the January transfer window.
It has reported that Ruud Van Nistelrooy's men wanted a £12m deal for Ezechiel, although the talent remained at Leuven past the February 3 deadline.
The teenager is a central midfielder with a keen eye for a creative contribution, scoring once and providing five assists across 23 Belgian Pro League fixtures this season.
Banzuzi is also beginning to rise up the ranks on the international scene, earning his maiden cap for Netherlands Under-21s at the beginning of the term.
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"Give him the next step" - Leuven director confirms Banzuzi summer exit
With the summer transfer window still a few months away, Leuven director Gyorgy Csepregi has revealed that Leicester-linked Banzuzi will depart at the end of the campaign.
Speaking to Nieuwsblad, Csepregi addressed the future of the talented 19-year-old, saying that: "We agreed with Eze that he will finish the season.
"In the summer we will definitely give him the next step. He has completely outgrown the competition. He plays on one leg."
As well as Leicester and Brighton, it is understood that both West Ham United and Monaco were also in the race to sign Banzuzi during the winter trading point.
The Hammers and the Ligue 1 outfit supposedly agreed deals with Leuven over the sale of the midfielder, although a move to either side failed to materialise.
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Do Leicester have an advantage in Banzuzi race?
Despite West Ham and Monaco coming the closest to securing the signature of Banzuzi in January, Leicester will fancy their chances of getting a deal over the line in the summer.
As a sister club of the Foxes, Leuven have special links to the East Midlands outfit, ties that could come in handy during negotiations at the end of the campaign.
Leicester will be on an even better footing to lure Banzuzi to England should they remain as a Premier League club, with Van Nistelrooy's troops currently fighting near the foot of the top-flight standings.
Carter White
