FIFA block Portugal midfielder’s move to Premier League

Leicester move blocked

FIFA have rejected Leicester City’s registration of Adrien Silva, according to a source close to the player.

The Portgual midfielder was a deadline day signing by the 2016 Premier League champions, joining from Sporting CP.

However, the paperwork for the transfer was submitted after the deadline, putting the move in jepardy.

On Tuesday night, Portuguese outlet Record confirmed that Silva’s Premier League registration had been rejected by world football’s governing body.

The unusual situation has another element to it. Silva has returned to Sporting, although Leicester have already made some of the payment to the Portuguese club.

Sporting and Leicester had agreed a £22m fee last Thursday for the 28-year-old.

Silva has spent his entire professional career as a Sporting player, although he did have loan spells with Maccabi Haifa and Academia.

The midfielder has won 20 caps for Portugal and was in the squad which was triumphant at Euro 2016.

Short in midfield

Without Silva, Leicester have been left in the lurch. The Foxes had intended to bring Silva in to replace Danny Drinkwater, who left the club on deadline day to join champions Chelsea.

Drinkwater was an integral part of the Leicester side, and a key figure in their 2016 Premier League win. Now, Craig Shakespeare’s side have failed to replace him.

To add insult to injury, Leicester are also without Nampalys Mendy, leaving them short in central midfield. The Frenchman was loaned out to his former club Nice.

Leicester have now lost both their central midfielders from their title winning season, with N’Golo Kante departing for Chelsea last year.