Who is Okoli? – Italy youth international set for Leicester City medical | OneFootball

Atalanta defender Caleb Okoli is on the verge of joining newly-promoted Premier League side Leicester City on a permanent transfer, but who is he and where has his career taken him thus far?

Who is new Leicester City signing Okoli?

The highly-rated defender is set to join Leicester in a €15m deal with add-ons included.

Okoli is a 22-year-old centre-back, currently owned by Atalanta, but is remembered more recently for his performances while on loan at Frosinone in the 2023-24 season.

A tall and commanding, yet still athletic presence in the back-line, Okoli has 14 caps for Italy’s U21 side, as well as another 11 appearances for the U20 and U19 teams.

He came through the youth ranks in Bergamo, but also spent time on the books of Serie C side Vicenza back in 2015-16.

Life as a senior professional began with two separate stints on loan in Serie B, first with SPAL in 2020-21, and then with Cremonese in the following season. With the latter, he played 27 times as the team finished second, which was enough to secure promotion to the top flight for 2022-23.

After his time with Cremonese, Okoli stayed on with Atalanta’s first team, making 17 top flight appearances, but no other appearances in the Coppa Italia or in Europe.

A temporary move to Frosinone came next, where he quickly established himself as an ever-present member of the back-line. His debut came four games into the season, and from there he appeared in every Serie A match that he was eligible for.

He was suspended for Frosinone’s 2-1 loss to Juventus just before Christmas, but then went on to start in all 21 of his side’s remaining league matches.

Though many had tipped Frosinone to struggle in the top flight this season, they put up a valiant fight and were unfortunate to be relegated, in heartbreaking fashion, on the final game of the 2023-24 season.

Now with two years left on his Atalanta contract, Okoli is set to become one of Leciester’s first signings of the summer, with medicals already booked in according to the latest updates.