Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi was close to a move to the Premier League with Leicester when he was at Sassuolo but he declined out of respect for Giorgio Squinzi.
The 32-year-old played for the Neroverdi from 2013 until 2018 and he had been linked with winter transfers to England and Russia but he remained with the Emilia-Romagna club to show gratitude for their support during his battle with testicular cancer.
“I should have gone to England to Ranieri’s Leicester or to Zenit [Saint Petersburg] with Mancini,” Acerbi said in an Instagram Live stream.
“I was not sure. I had to go to Leicester in January but I am a very grateful person.
“At that time, I didn’t want to leave Dr Squinzi, who had been very close to me in times of difficulty.
“I always said no [to offers] because of Sassuolo’s help.”
