Why Super Eagles boss Chelle will closely follow Sassuolo’s move for Caleb Okoli

Sassuolo have made an official enquiry about Leicester City defender Caleb Okoli as the 25-year-old looks for a way back to Italy, Afrik-Foot reports.

Italian outlet Sport Mediaset reports that Sassuolo have contacted Leicester to discuss a possible deal for the centre-back. Leicester are understood to value Okoli at about €8m (£6.9m).

The move could also have an important effect on Okoli’s international future with Nigeria.

Leicester’s situation has made his position difficult. The club have suffered successive relegations and are preparing for life in League One. Okoli’s agent, Alessandro Barison, has already made it clear that the defender wants to play in a higher-level league.

Okoli still has three years left on his Leicester contract, which runs until June 2029. But a return to Serie A would give him the chance to play at a level much closer to the international stage.

Okoli: Sassuolo move could change Chelle’s plans

Okoli has already shown that he can handle Serie A football. He played 17 matches for Atalanta during the 2022-23 season before joining Frosinone on loan for the following campaign. At Frosinone, he became a regular starter, playing 34 Serie A matches and completing 2,915 minutes.

Across those two seasons, Okoli made 51 Serie A appearances, recorded one assist and received 11 yellow cards, but did not receive a red card. His 2023-24 season was particularly demanding. He was involved in 211 successful tackles for Frosinone as the club fought for survival.

That experience is important for head coach Eric Chelle because Nigeria need more options in central defence. The Super Eagles have an ageing group of central defenders, with Semi Ajayi likely to follow William Troost-Ekong into international retirement in the near future. At the same time, Chelle is building a squad capable of competing in major tournaments and future World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations campaigns.

Okoli also has a recent reason to attract attention. Despite the transfer uncertainty around him, he started Leicester’s Carabao Cup match against Northampton Town and scored the winning goal with a header in a 1-0 victory.

A move to Sassuolo would therefore give Chelle something Leicester cannot offer at present, which is regular football in one of Europe’s major leagues.

Okoli’s international situation is also unusual. He was born in Italy and has represented the country at Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 level. He has also been called into the senior Italy squad but has not played an official senior match.

That means he can still choose Nigeria through his Nigerian parents. The decision, however, is not entirely in Nigeria’s hands. Okoli has previously made clear that Italy is his first choice. He has also said that if another senior Italy opportunity does not come, he could consider representing Nigeria.

That position has kept the door open for the Super Eagles. Nigeria previously tried to convince him to switch. Former coach José Peseiro used Okoli’s Atalanta team-mate Ademola Lookman to help with the approach, but the defender chose to continue pursuing his Italy career.

His club situation has since changed sharply. A serious hamstring injury disrupted his previous season, while Leicester’s relegations have taken him further away from the level required to attract regular attention from the Italy setup.

Sassuolo could change that picture quickly. If Okoli moves to the Serie A club and plays regularly, Chelle would have a 25-year-old centre-back competing every week in Europe’s number-one defensive league. His previous Serie A experience means he would not be starting from zero.

A move away from League One and back into Serie A could improve Okoli’s club level, increase his chances of a Nigeria call-up and give the Super Eagles another experienced option at centre-back.