Italian-born Nigerian defender Caleb Okoli has joined Leicester City on a permanent deal from Serie A side Atalanta.
In a statement on Leicester website, the deal is subject to Premier League and international clearance.
Okoli has signed a five-year-deal with the Foxes as Steve Cooper’s side continue their preparations for the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Speaking to Foxes Hub, Okoli said: “I think now is the right moment [for me] to make a step forward and a very big one. I’m very happy with the choice I made, so I’m very excited to start in the Premier League. Now I’m here in Leicester I’m feeling ready to start with my new team.
“It was the right opportunity and it’s very important for me. The Premier League is the best league in the world. Leicester is a beautiful club, an important club and the two combined together, so I took this opportunity to come and express myself in the Premier League.”
Born in Vicenza in Italy, Okoli joined Atalanta in the summer of 2015 and won the National Youth Super Cup (Primavera) with the Under-19s in 2019, before joining SPAL on loan for the 2020/21 season, making 16 appearances for the Serie B side and scoring once in a 2-1 victory over Lecce.
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He continued his development at Serie B level with a loan spell at Cremonese in 2021/22, featuring 27 times, before making his Serie A debut for Atalanta in a 2-1 win against Sampdoria in August 2022.
He made 17 appearances for the Nerazzurri during the 2022/23 campaign, helping the side to a fifth-place finish and UEFA Europa League qualification.
In September 2023, he joined newly promoted Serie A club Frosinone on a season long loan and went on to feature for them on 37 occasions in all competitions, building on an already impressive reputation.
On the international stage, he has represented Italy at U19, U20 and U21 level.
Okoli will now link up with his Leicester City team-mates as pre-season gets underway and preparations begin for their return to Premier League football.
3 Comments
@CSN Una Go Open Mouth WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dey Hola Italian Nigerian Defender Joins Leicester City!. Come Match Day When the List of released and Okoli and Adarabioyo name is not there but Taminu and Igboke is, Raise alarm and make stories as to why this is happening and NFF is doing nothing, you people will do nothing we will go to matches and perform shambolically because of defence come AFCON now you people will be making stories of Ahmed Musa instead of asking how far with the Adarabioyo and Okoli situations. VEry Useless Bunch of Journalist who are adding to the Down fall of Nigerian Football. Stuck in the past bunch of people
My friend keep quiet, the European rejects that are their now, what have they done exceeding well. Is it not their display that is about to cost us a chance at the world cup. Now we should call another player that I bet you haven’t seen play. Another calamity will now be added to the team.
Those European rejects are far better than our home grown players, period….Our home grown players that coaches will waste valuable time (that will be used to form strategies and formulae to win games) in teaching them how to trap and control the ball, teach them common sense on how to pass the ball… Like the local coaches, like their local counterpart players.