Report: Pescara chief confirms Tottenham, Leicester interest in Serie B striker
Serie B side Pescara president Daniele Sebastiani has confirmed that Premier League title contenders Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing striker Gianluca Lapadula.
The 26-year-old had an impressive last season where he scored 24 goals for Teramo. He moved to Pescara last summer and has been in fine form for them this term, scoring 21 goals so far, where all of his goals have come from open play.
According to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport via Calciomercato, the Premier League leaders, the north London club have joined Italian champions Juventus and Napoli in the race to sign the Italo-Peruvian player.
Pescara are seventh in the league table with 55 points from 35 matches, trailing third place Bari by two points. Sebastiani admitted that Lapadula will leave his current employers if his side fails to secure a promotion to Italy's top flight club competition.
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“Our striker will only leave under certain conditions and only to an important team. If we do not get promoted then he is likely to leave," Sebastiani told Itasportpress.it, as quoted by the Express.
“I have followed Juventus and Napoli’s interest closely, but we do not have an agreement in place with Juve. Moreover, the regulations of the transfer window are clear and up until May 16, nothing can be done.”
"Leicester and Tottenham have been following him and their observers have been to Pescara several times.
"In Italy there is also Sampdoria, Genoa and Chievo but it must be stressed, he has a long contract with us.”
Meanwhile, Lapadula has put the recent reports linking him to Juventus to bed. He is eligible to play for either Italy or Peru and the striker admitted that he is not focusing on deciding his international career.
“Juventus? I do not think of anything because if I get distracted that could be the end (to my form). I focus only on the current work and Pescara; I’ll not give up a centimeter," Lapadula told Tutto Mercato Web.
“I'm happy with the win and with the goals. The National team? I just think to improve myself and do well with Pescara. After the match against Cagliari we made mistakes, then with the determination and hard work we have come out of the bad time."