Sources: Leicester leapfrog West Ham in Edouard race after latest talks
Leicester City are back in the driving seat in the summer chase for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, Football Insider understands.
The Foxes are working on three early-window deals as they look to finalise the captures of Edouard, left-back Ryan Bertrand and central midfielder Boubakary Soumare.
A Leicester source has told Football Insider that the club have made progress over the capture of Edouard, 23, in recent days.
There is now hope at the King Power Stadium that they can beat Edouard’s other main suitors Arsenal and West Ham to a deal.
Manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to re-sign the Frenchman despite the renaissance of Kelechi Iheanacho in the second half of the recently-completed Premier League season.
Leicester were having second thoughts about Edouard after Iheanacho signed a contract extension on 3rd April that ties him to the Foxes until the summer of 2024.
But Rodgers is keen for attacking reinforcements after City failed to secure a top-four finish following a stuttering finish to the campaign.
Edouard has made it clear to the Celtic board he wants to leave and has rejected attempts to secure him to a contract extension.
Some reports have suggested Edouard may see out his Hoops contract and leave on a free when it expires next year.
But that is not believed to be an option for the forward, who has spent the last four years in Glasgow.
Edouard scored 22 goals and provided six assists from 40 matches in 2020-21 but his performances did not reach the heights of his outstanding 2019-20 campaign.
In other news, Kieran Maguire has revealed that Celtic could land “£80million while Rangers get nothing” due to “nonsense” Uefa rule.