Leicester City offer Nigerian-born goalkeeper Chituru Odunze new contract to retain him

LEICESTER City have offered Nigerian-born teenage goalkeeper Chituru Odunze a new long-term contract ahead of the expiration of his current deal which expires on June 30 in the hope of getting him to commit his long-term future to the club.

Odunze, 19, will be on his way out of the club should Leicester fail to make a move as his current contract is due to expire on June 30. Highly rated, the goalkeeper who has been listed in Europa League matchday squads in the past, is eligible to play for Nigeria, Canada, the US and England.

A former Chelsea Academy man, Odunze was on the bench in Leicester’s games against Rennes and PSV in the Europa League last season and is rated as a top prospect by the club since he joined in 2019. Leicester are looking to see him join the list of Nigerians having long term contracts at the club including Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi.

Other Nigerians on the books of the Foxes include Kelechi Chibueze and Joshua Eppiah, with the club also looking to retain the services of winger Ademola Lookman. Leicester City released Nigerian defender Calvin Bassey two years ago and he has now grown into one of the most-improved young players in Europe at Glasgow Rangers

In order to avoid a repeat of this mistake, the Foxes are keen to tie Odunze down to a new contract after his current deal expires. Bassey left the King Power on a free in 2020 and has grown in leaps and bounds at Ibrox ever since, with several Premier league clubs now looking to bring him back to England.