According to the Daily Mail, Bristol City have joined Derby County in the race to sign Leicester City defender Filip Benkovic on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Benkovic joined Leicester from Dinamo Zagreb for a reported £13 million fee.
The Croatia international, however, has rarely featured for the Foxes and spent the best part of last season on loan at Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers is seemingly willing to allow Benkovic to leave on loan. However, the Foxes want to bring in another central defender first.
Derby have made Benkovic one of their top priorities this month. The Rams are short in the centre-back department following the sacking of Richard Keogh.
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Phillip Cocu’s side, however, have been left waiting on Leicester’s approval.
The Foxes are keen on signing Southampton’s Jannik Vestegaard. Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, however, is seemingly reluctant to let the Dane leave.
The situation has lingered and now Bristol City are keen on adding Benkovic.
The Robins are in the hunt for a playoff place and recent back-to-back wins in the Championship has pushed them to within just a couple of points of the top six.
Lee Johnson’s side sold centre-back Adam Webster to Brighton last summer. City never really replaced him, and they may look to rectify that before the window shuts.
Derby, meanwhile, have also been linked with Bournemouth defender Jack Simpson.
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