Leicester City are pressing to sign Leyton Orient striker Dom Ballard before their League One opener against Notts County. Russell Martin has made adding frontline firepower his top priority, with Orient open to selling if their valuation is met.
The Foxes are desperately lacking presence up front despite pre-season flashes from youngster Kirsten Otchere. Having already landed Conor Chaplin and Alex McCarthy, Martin knows his attack remains painfully thin. Ballard bagged 23 goals in League One last season and has stayed sharp in pre-season with strikes against Hornchurch and Southend United. Bristol City failed with a £4million bid before signing Lorent Tolaj, leaving the door wide open for Leicester.
Orient majority shareholder David Gandler insists his club will not be bullied by bigger sides in the transfer market. Talking about the transfer conditions, Gandler made Orient’s position crystal clear: “It’s very simple, the club has to receive an acceptable offer, something that will allow us to plan for the future,” he explained.
Gandler fired a direct warning to suitors hoping to pinch the 21-year-old goal machine on the cheap. “If that doesn’t happen, we are under no pressure to sell. I do believe that there are clubs out there that think we’re still little Leyton Orient. We’re not. We want to be able to deliver on our goal, which is to build a sustainable Championship club. We will do that.”
The League One outfit understand the forward’s ambition to climb the football ladder, but the financial terms must stack up for the club. “We obviously also want to continue to support the career of players such as Dom Ballard. We have done that, we have developed a platform for him to be able to showcase his skills, but again, it’s very important for us to assure we get offers that we think will create value for the football club over the long term.”
With the season opener looming in less than three weeks, Leicester must move fast to seal the deal. Orient hold all the cards and remain relaxed about the situation. Gandler concluded: “We are under no pressure to sell any players, unless it’s feasible.”
