Leicester City are set to make Belgian international wing-back Timothy Castagne their first signing of the summer.
Reports from Castagne’s home nation say an £18m deal, potentially rising to £21.5m, has now been agreed with his club Atalanta, with the 24-year-old signing a five-year contract at the King Power Stadium.
While naturally a right-sided player, Castagne is equally comfortable on the left and he will help City cope with the departure of Ben Chilwell, who left the club last week in a £50m move to Chelsea.
The foxes wanted to get a deal for Castagne done before he joined up with Youri Tielemans, Dennis Praet, and the Belgian national team ahead of their Nations League games over the next week.
Reports from Belgium say the King Power side had looked at Castagne last summer, but have now made their move and will bring him in to strengthen their full-back and wing-back ranks. City have James Justin, Luke Thomas, Ricardo Pereira, and Christian Fuchs in their senior squad, but the latter two are ruled out until at least October with injury.
Operating as cover for both the right and left wing-backs at Atalanta last season, Castagne played 33 games in all competitions – providing two goals and three assists – as the Bergamo club finished third in Serie A and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
He spent his youth days at Genk, where he was a team-mate of Wilfred Ndidi.
At the start of the summer, he said his dream was to play in the Premier League.
Speaking in May, Castagne said: “I’ll tell the truth, if I could choose my next destination, I’d lean towards England. I like that Premier League style of football, but I don’t have a preferred club. They are all good.”