Leicester City are reportedly still in the hunt for Merih Demiral but it could now take a bid in excess of £34m to prise him away from Juventus.
The Foxes are enjoying an impressive season thus far as they sit in second place in the Premier League table after 21 games.
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Not only have they established themselves as a genuine candidate for a top-four finish this season, but they remain Liverpool’s closest rivals for the title, albeit the Reds boast a 13-point lead and still have a game in hand.
Nevertheless, the progress made under Brendan Rodgers has been impressive, and Leicester will no doubt want to build on that where possible to ensure that they remain a top-four side in the Premier League rather than being an anomaly in breaking up the usual pack this year.
With that in mind, The Mirror report that they are still chasing Demiral to bolster their defensive options, but given it’s noted that they had a second bid of £34m rejected by Juventus for the Turkish international, they will surely now have to offer improved terms to prise him away.
Things could get increasingly complicated too as it’s noted that Man City and Everton are also interested in the 21-year-old, and so it remains to be seen if a third bid will do the trick to unlock a deal for the Foxes.
Demiral has found playing time hard to come by so far this season, as he’s been limited to just six appearances for the Turin giants while facing competition from the likes of Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt.
In turn, he could welcome the idea of a more prominent role in England, while a move to Leicester would give him an opportunity to link up with compatriot Caglar Soyuncu.
Time will tell if a deal can be done this month, but it appears as though Leicester City are certainly prepared to continue trying for the defensive ace.