Leicester City close in on first transfer as Marti Cifuentes turns to familiar face
Asmir Begovic looks set to become Leicester City’s first arrival of the summer, with the club currently one of two Championship sides not to have made any signings
Marti Cifuentes is closing in on his first Leicester City signing with veteran goalkeeper Asmir Begovic reportedly on the verge of joining the club.
City needed to strengthen their senior goalkeeping ranks following the summer exits of Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen and 38-year-old Begovic is available on a free transfer.
On Saturday, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that a deal has now been signed and that Begovic will be a City player.
The Bosnian would represent the first signing under Cifuentes and the first signing for City this summer.
As things stand, they are one of just two Championship sides not to have brought in any new faces this summer, with crisis club Sheffield Wednesday, their opening weekend opponents, the other.
Begovic is a free agent after his contract at Everton ended this summer. In his second spell with the Toffees, he was there for just a year, having previously been QPR’s first-choice goalkeeper under Cifuentes.
After Begovic came in for criticism following mistakes, Cifuentes was quick to defend him.
“I’m not here just to judge individually my players,” the Spaniard said in March 2024. “I trust them. In this case, if you ask me about Asmir, his career speaks for itself and the quality he has.
“If you ask me if I want Asmir in a team that is fighting to avoid relegation I will 100 per cent say that I always want him in my team. The experience and leadership he has says everything. He has been a top keeper playing at a top level for many years.”
Arriving at the King Power Stadium, it would be expected that Begovic comes in as back-up to City’s current goalkeepers.
Mads Hermansen, City’s number one, could be sold this summer, with West Ham the most likely destination as things stand.
That would open the door for Jakub Stolarczyk to take over as first-choice goalkeeper, the Pole having proven his credentials as Hermansen’s deputy over the past couple of seasons.
