Newcomer Caleb Okoli has enjoyed a decent start with Leicester City in the Premier League. Things could be better with the Foxes hovering above the relegation zone, but the Italian has impressed individually. Okoli played a big part alongside centre-back partner Wout Faes in leading Leicester to their first victory of the season against Bournemouth.
Following Leicester’s promotion to the Premier League, there were doubts regarding Jannik Vestergaard’s pace. Although the Denmark international is the best in possession amongst the centre-backs, his severe lack of pace would cause problems in the English top flight, especially if Steve Cooper pressed with a high line. Okoli was identified as a target, and Foxes swiftly completed his signing from Atalanta for a reported fee of £13 million.
Caleb Okoli brings pace and physicality to Leicester’s backline
A significant aspect of what the East Midlands side liked about Okoli was his physicality, particularly his pace. Leicester didn’t really have a quick centre-back and desperately needed one to adapt to the Premier League. The Italian backed up his physicality with good defending abilities, ranking above the 70th percentile in tackles, blocks, and clearances.
However, Okoli struggled in his first few weeks at the King Power. Cooper seemed unimpressed with the centre-back during pre-season and started Jannik Vestergaard ahead of him for Leicester’s opening two league games. The Italian was handed his first start against Aston Villa, and he had a promising debut, making a brilliant tackle late in the game to prevent the visitors from doubling their lead.
Since then, the 23-year-old has been a regular in Leicester’s starting lineup, adding much-needed pace and physicality to the defence. However, there are still areas where Okoli needs to improve. His passing has been inconsistent, and he hasn’t shown the same adventurous forward runs he was known for in Serie A. Additionally, despite his strength, Okoli has struggled in aerial duels, winning just 37% of them — a noticeable drop from the 55% he won last season.
Overall, Okoli has been a solid addition to Leicester’s squad, especially given his relatively low transfer fee. At just 23 years old, the Italian defender still has his best years ahead of him. If Leicester can stabilise themselves as a Premier League club, Okoli could be a key figure in their defence for many seasons to come.