Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 7y

Sassuolo dismiss Giovanni Carnevali exit talk amid Leicester City interest

Sassuolo sporting director Giovanni Carnevali says Francesco Acerbi is not for sale as Leicester City continue with their advances for the defender.

Acerbi, 28, has been linked with a move to the Foxes in January, even more so after telling Sky Sport Italia last month that he has the ambition of joining a big club again and has a point to prove after failing to make the breakthrough at AC Milan.

Carnevali, however, says Sassuolo cannot listen to offers for the centre-back as he is too important to the club right now.

"We don't want to let him go," Carnevali told Mediaset. "We want to keep him through to the end of the season, despite the enquiries from Leicester.

"That is why we are not thinking of bringing anybody in. If we have the opportunity to sell one of our youngsters, then OK, but we are not considering selling the likes of Acerbi, [Gregoire] Defrel and [Lorenzo] Pellegrini."

Acerbi has been an ever-present for the Neroverdi this season, having been a regular ever since arriving from Genoa in 2013. He previously spent just six months at Milan before being loaned out to Chievo after making only 10 appearances for the Rossoneri.

His career has been interrupted twice by testicular cancer, but he has not now missed a game since October 2015 -- a run of 61 consecutive appearances in all competitions.

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