{"id":578524,"date":"2021-01-12T07:22:07","date_gmt":"2021-01-12T12:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=578524"},"modified":"2021-01-12T07:22:07","modified_gmt":"2021-01-12T12:22:07","slug":"leicester-city-defender-filip-benkovic-loaned-to-oh-leuven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2021\/01\/12\/leicester-city-defender-filip-benkovic-loaned-to-oh-leuven\/","title":{"rendered":"Leicester City Defender Filip Benkovic Loaned to OH Leuven"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leicester City<\/a> defender Filip Benkovic has joined Belgian side OH Leuven on loan<\/a> for the rest of the season. The Jupiler Pro League side, who are the Foxes’ sister club, also signed former Leicester man Andy King<\/a> earlier in the window.<\/p>\n

Filip Benkovic Leaves Leicester City on Loan<\/h2>\n

Fourth Loan Spell<\/h3>\n

This temporary move to Belgium is now Benkovic’s fourth loan move away from Leicester since joining from Dinamo Zagreb in 2018.<\/p>\n

The Croatian has spent time at Celtic, Bristol City and Cardiff City. He played 27 times for Celtic, helping them to the Scottish Premiership title in 2018\/19, and scored twice in ten games for Bristol City at the start of 2020.<\/p>\n

He spent the first half of this season with Neil Harris’ Cardiff but was recalled before being sent out again to Leuven.<\/p>\n

Leuven are currently fourth in the Belgian top-flight ahead of their game against Sint-Truden this weekend.<\/p>\n

No Celtic Return<\/h3>\n

It had been reported<\/a> earlier in the window that Benkovic was going to return to Celtic on loan for the second half of the season.<\/p>\n

The Croatian is yet to make his Premier League debut for the Foxes and does not appear to be in Brendan Rodgers’ plans at the moment.<\/p>\n

Despite talks with Celtic<\/a>, a move never materialised, and a move to Leuven, who are owned by Leicester’s owners King Power, could mean it is easier for the Foxes to monitor his progress.<\/p>\n

The new deal awarded to Jonny Evans<\/a> struck a further blow to Benkovic’s hopes of making the first-team at Leicester under Brendan Rodgers.<\/p>\n

With four loans now clocked up and no sign of Premier League football to come any time soon for the 23-year-old, Leciester could have a decision to make on Benkovic’s future when summer comes around.<\/p>\n

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Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a>