Football
ESPN staff 9y

Andrej Kramaric set to complete £9.7m move to Leicester from Rijeka

Andrej Kramaric has agreed to join Leicester City from Croatian club NK Rijeka in what is believed to be a club-record deal for both clubs, subject to a work permit.

Leicester confirmed the transfer had been agreed, on a contract until the summer of 2018, on Thursday, 24 hours after Rijeka had announced he was heading to the Premier League. Reports suggest the transfer fee is in the region of £9.7m.

However, Kramaric will automatically be denied a work permit as he has only four international caps for Croatia -- he made his debut against Malta in September, which means the Foxes will have to go to an appeals panel.

A statement issued by the Foxes read: "Leicester City Football Club can confirm that an agreement has been reached with HNK Rijeka for the transfer of Andrej Kramaric.

"Andrej, 23, has agreed personal terms, undergone a medical and will sign a contract to June 2018 once a work permit has been granted. He will not be available for Saturday's Barclays Premier League visit of Aston Villa.

"The Croatian international striker, named 2014 Player of the Year in Croatia's top flight, is set to join the Foxes for an undisclosed fee."

The Croatian club had already confirmed the deal on their Twitter account on Wednesday. A statement on the Rijeka website from sporting director Ivan Mance read: "Now officially we can say that [Rijeka] has completed the transfer of Andrej Kramaric to Leicester City. We are glad that the whole job [is] completed to mutual satisfaction and thanks to all who participated and helped to realise the biggest transfer in the club's history."

Chelsea were interested in the Croatia international, who has two goals in four appearances, but the player is said to have preferred Leicester and a greater chance of regular first-team football.

Leicester last broke their record transfer in July when they signed Leonardo Ulloa from Brighton and Hove Albion for eight million pounds. Before that, their record signing was Ade Akinbiyi from Wolves for five million pounds in the summer of 2000.

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