Defender Caleb Okoli signs from Atalanta

– Caleb Okoli joins Leicester City on a five-year deal
– The 22-year-old makes the switch from Serie A side Atalanta
– Represented Italy at various youth levels

The 22-year-old centre-back, who represented Italy at the 2023 EURO U21 Championships, has signed a five-year deal with the Foxes as Steve Cooper’s side continue their preparations for the 2024/25 Premier League season.

Speaking to Foxes Hub, he said: “I think now is the right time (for me) to take a step forward and a very big one. I’m very happy with the choice I made, so I’m very excited to start in the Premier League. Now I’m here in Leicester, I feel ready to start with my new team.

“It was the right opportunity and it’s very important for me. The Premier League is the best league in the world. Leicester is a beautiful club, an important club and the two combined together, so I took this opportunity to come and express myself in the Premier League.”

Born in Vicenza in Italy, Okoli joined Atalanta in the summer of 2015 and won the National Youth Super Cup (Primavera) with the under-19s in 2019, before joining SPAL on loan for the 2020/21 season, making 16 Serie A appearances. B side and scored once in a 2-1 win over Lecce.

The centre-back continued his development at Serie B level with a loan spell at Cremonese in 2021/22, featuring 27 times, before making his Serie A debut for Atalanta in a 2-1 win against Sampdoria in August 2022.

He made 17 appearances for the Nerazzurri in the 2022/23 campaign, helping the team finish fifth and qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

In September 2023, the 6-foot-3 defender joined newly-promoted Serie A club Frosinone on a season-long loan and went on to make 37 appearances for them in all competitions, building on an already impressive reputation.

On the international stage, he represented Italy at U19, U20 and U21 levels.

Okoli will now link up with his Leicester City team-mates as pre-season begins and preparations for their return to Premier League football begin.