Adrien Silva keen on Leicester but Sporting insist he’s not for sale

Sporting midfielder Adrien Silva has indicated he wants to join Leicester but the Portuguese club insist they expect him to stay at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

The Premier League champions are reported to be interested in signing Silva, along with his Sporting team-mate striker Islam Slimani.

Silva, who started every match for Portugal during their successful Euro 2016 campaign from the knock-out stages onwards, spoke of Leicester’s interest in an interview with the Portuguese newspaper O Jogo.

He said: “Yes, I confirm this proposal. Leicester is very interesting and corresponds to my career goals.

“After the past 15 years at Sporting, this opportunity is something exceptional for me and can allow me to express and impose myself in another championship, and also to evolve in the Premier League, which is a stunning league.

“I love Sporting as a family and I dedicated myself to the club since I was 12 years old. At 27 years old, and after so many years of loyalty, I think that no one will criticise me for wanting to embrace this challenge.”

However, Sporting have responded with a statement on their official website, saying they expect Silva to honour the new contract he signed this year and finish his career at the club.

“The player renewed his contract in February 2016 in a deal involving significant sums of money, making it absolutely clear that the extension to his contract would mean that Adrien Silva would say at the club until the end of his career,” the statement read.

“Never during recent months has anything been said to the president or has any proposal been made for the transfer of Adrien Silva and the president has not met with the player’s father or representatives for that purpose.

“Sporting and its president will always defend the interests of the club and will also defend the club’s assets.”

Meanwhile Burnley have announced the signing of Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old, who has been unable to force himself into the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge, has had previous spells at MK Dons, Derby, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and Norwich.

Bamford arrives at Turf Moor after the club signed Steven Defour from Anderlecht a fortnight ago and deals for Jamie Thomas, Robbie Leitch, Nick Pope and Johann Berg Gudmundsson earlier in the summer.

Bamford, a graduate of the Nottingham Forest Academy, caught the eye in the 2014-15 season when he scored 17 times in the Championship for Boro.

He also scored in a memorable FA Cup win at Manchester City that season but missed out on a European Championship spot with England Under-21s through injury.

He played in the Premier League with both Palace and Norwich last season but neither spell proved fruitful.