Leicester City and Aston Villa tipped to battle for Bundesliga defender transfer this summer

Leicester City will have to do battle with fellow Premier League side Aston Villa in the race to secure the signature of highly rated Mainz defender Jeremiah St. Juste, according to reports.

It is said that the Foxes had been in pole position to sign the Dutchman from the Bundesliga but Steven Gerrard has apparently turned his attention towards the 25-year-old, having missed out on signing Borussia Monchengladbach defender Matthias Ginter, who revealed he would return to Freiburg at the end of the season. West Ham United have also been credited with an interest, along with Sporting Lisbon, Portugese outlet Jornal de Notícias claims.

In a season plagued with injuries for Brendan Rodgers, one position that has been affected most has been at centre back, with Wesley Fofana and Jonny Evans most notably missing large periods of the season through injury. Rumours have also circulated that defender Caglar Soyuncu could leave the club this summer, with the Turkish defender into the last 12 months of his five-year contract, with Real Madrid reportedly tracking his contract situation.

But whilst the Foxes season has been hindered by multiple injuries throughout their squad, could it be a risk bringing in St. Juste? The Dutchman is regarded as on the quickest defenders in the Bundesliga and is valued at around £8million. So far, so good.

However, the 25-year-old has made just nine appearances in all competitions after suffering two separate should injuries that have kept him out 21 games this season. And with the physical and competitive nature of the Premier League, it could bear food for thought for Rodgers when looking at his recruitment during the summer window.