Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Marcus Christenson and Fabrizio Romano

Leicester City sign £5m Gökhan Inler from Napoli

Spain's midfielder Xavi (R) fights for t
Gökhan Inler captained Switzerland at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. Photograph: Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images

Leicester City have agreed a deal with Napoli to sign the midfielder Gokhan Inler for £5m. Claudio Ranieri has been looking to replace Esteban Cambiasso at the heart of his midfield and convinced Inler to come to the Premier League rather than joining Schalke or Besiktas, who were also interested in the 31-year old.

The Swiss international has spent the last four years at Napoli, playing more than 100 league games for the Serie A side, and captained Switzerland at last year’s World Cup.

Cambiasso played an important role in keeping Leicester in the Premier League last season under Nigel Pearson but Ranieri was unable to convince the Argentinian to sign a new contract and he subsequently joined Olympiakos. Ranieri said in early August about Cambiasso: “He is a team leader and, if he doesn’t come, I need another team leader.”

Leicester won their opening game of the Premier League season, beating Sunderland 4-2, and go to West Ham United on Saturday afternoon. Inler will not join in time to face the Hammers but is expected to undergo a medical and sign his contract in the next few days.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.