The signing of Okoli is significant in pointing towards Cooper opting for a back three. While the Italian is right-footed, he played on the left of a three on loan at Frosinone at times last season, and that’s the one spot City would need to fill in such a formation.
Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes would be the frontrunners for the other two spots in a back three, operating as they did last season. But Cooper also has Conor Coady, Ben Nelson and Harry Souttar to consider as well.
Okoli pinpoints the two main qualities he will add to Leicester City’s defence.
Leicester City have added another player to Steve Cooper’s squad, and having already brought in new attackers and midfielders, they now have a new centre back too
Okoli says he will bring his strength and pace to Leicester City’s defence after completing his transfer from Atalanta.
The centre back has signed a five-year-deal and becomes the Foxes’ third signing of Steve Cooper era after Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Michael Golding, who have joined from Fulham and Chelsea respectively.
The 22-year-old arrives at the King Power Stadium having spent his young career with the Serie A club but most of his fledgling senior career out on loan. Indeed last term was passed with Frosinone and while the newly-promoted outfit were unable to retain their top flight status, Okoli played 37 times and has now made more than 50 Serie A appearances.
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He has also played age group football for Italy and has already played at the King Power Stadium – as a late substitution in a 2-1 friendly defeat in August 2019 when he would have been just 18-years-old.
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He has come a long way since that day and asked to describe himself by the club’s TV channel he pointed to two main attributes: “I think I am very strong defender, very fast, hopefully I can bring my quality to the team.” He will come in to challenge Jannik Vestergaard, Ben Nelson, Conor Coady, Harry Souttar and Wout Faes for first team football.
“I am very excited to be a Leicester City player, I can’t wait to start. We just met this morning I was very excited and all the team was very happy to see me. It’s an incredible training ground also the stadium is excellent the environment is very good, new. I am happy to be here.
“I was here when we had a friendly match some years ago, I am very happy to be back again. I remember when the club won the Premier League some years ago, it was an incredible moment.
“It is very important for me because the Premier League is the best league in the world and to have have opportunity to play in it with Leicester is very, very big.
“The past year I played a lot of games so I think it was the right moment to make a different step forward.”