Stefano Sensi finally looks set to become a Leicester City player with a deal for weeks. The Inter Milan midfielder will fly to the UK for medical treatment and contract signing. If all goes well, he will be a City player by tonight’s 11pm deadline.It would be a big deal for City if 28-year-old Enzo Maresca was more open about his admiration for the club’s midfielders than he was at the start of
the year. Not only has Cesare Casadei been recalled by Chelsea, but Wilfred Ndidi could be out until April with an injury.Why is Maresca so eager? What position would Sens play? What qualities would he bring with him? And are there any issues we should be aware of? Here’s the lowdown on the midfielder…READ MORE: Leicester City transfer news live as Stefano Sensi fliesREAD MORE: Stefano Sensi moves to Leicester City latest after sales stancesWhere
will Sensi play?It’s hard to imagine anyone of Sens pedigree coming to City to sit on the bench. And there is an obvious place for him in the starting line-up with Wilfred Ndidi injured until April. That should mean he moves eight positions to the right, forming a midfield trio with Harry Winks and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.Sens has been used in various midfield roles throughout his career, sometimes behind the striker, sometimes sitting deep or sometimes moving from box to box. His range of passes means he would also be a strong candidate to cover for Winks should the former Tottenham man be injured or
suspended. This is especially useful with Hamza Choudhury currently covering both Winks and Ricardo Pereira.What would Sens bring?First of all, he is a great technician. Maresca keeps his teams on the ball, so players and especially midfielders who are very good on the ball are essential. Sens certainly is.Then it’s all about what he does when he has the ball and his passing ability is at its best. While on loan at Monza last season, he finished third in Serie A in forward passes per 90 minutes and fourth in final third passes per 90 minutes. When it comes to moving the ball through the lanes into offensive zones, he is one of the best.Maresca may wish he had more goals and assists than in recent years. Initially, he played in 2019-2020 Inter and scored three goals and four assists in the first six games. But this year was the most injured for him. He later scored four goals in 75 Serie A appearances.
Why him and no one else?He is a player that Maresca knows and with the Roberto De Zerbi link, he can be sure to quickly adapt to City’s way of playing. As an Italian international, he was always on Maresca’s radar, but it’s who he played for that makes him stand out.His 2018-19 campaign at Sassuolo under De Zerbi earned Sens a move to Inter Milan. Maresca and De Zerbi have been friends for 30 years since they were together in AC Milan’s academy and not only trust each other, but share the same thoughts about football. If Sensi can excel under De Zerbi, Maresca should do the same under him.What problems must be overcome?Lesions.
Simply put, if Sens have had no injury problems so far in his career, it’s hard to imagine him signing for a Championship club, even if they hope to return to the Premier League soon.In the 2018-19 season at Sassuolo, Sens played 22 full games, still the most he has ever played in a Serie A campaign. He’s had a few injuries to contend with most years.However, he has been available for most of the last 18 months. A fractured fibula kept him out last season, but he still featured in 28 of Monza’s 38 Serie A matches, although he managed just four of the 90 minutes. This year, he was part of Inter’s matchday squad in 16 out of 20 league games.But he’s played so little that expecting him to come to City and hit the ground running might be asking too much. He played in four games this season, all as a substitute, totaling around 70 minutes..
