Di Francesco: Leicester ‘wouldn’t sell Roma, Chelsea target’
The giallorossi have come under attack for not making any major splashes in the window, culminating in a 3-1 loss to Inter at home before the interntional break.
“We didn’t make much of an effort for Mahrez,” Coach Eusebio Di Francesco said in a press conference.
“Monchi offered more than we spent for Schick, however, but Leicester didn’t want to sell him. Therefore, we opted towards a different player, but a quality one.
"We wanted a strong player,a top player, so we decided to gamble on Schick knowing that Defrel can play as a winger, because he originally started there before I moved him to the middle."
This confirms what owner James Pallotta said during the summer when speculation was at its highest, saying “Mahrez who?” to media who found him at the airport.
The Giallorossi had, apparently, offered €30 million plus €5 million in add-ons for him, but Leicester City’s asking price was in the region of €40 million for non-English clubs.
Chelsea were reported to have made an acceptable offer late on, only for the deal to fall through.