Ranieri ‘very confident’ of signing new Leicester striker

Scott Anderson
Claudio Ranieri: Looking to buy new striker in January

Claudio Ranieri: Looking to buy new striker in January

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri says he is “very confident” of signing a new striker in the January transfer window. 

Record signing Andrej Kramaric finalised his loan move to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim this week, leaving the Italian with only three strikers in his current squad.

The move has opened up the possibility of a new signing arriving at the King Power Stadium, with Ranieri looking to sign a forward to ease the pressure on Premier League top goalscorer Jamie Vardy.

Vardy has 15 league goals to his name so far this season, but after scoring in 11 consecutive games he has now gone six league games without finding the net.

And the Leicester boss says that he is looking to do business “as soon as possible” in his pursuit of a new striker.

“We have our eyes open,” said Ranieri. “If there is a good opportunity for us, we are ready. Now I want another attacking player – a striker.

“I am very confident. My staff is fabulous, every day they are working, because when I ask about something they are ready.

“I’d like to do my business as soon as possible.”

Ranieiri says that he is keen to add a striker who presses the ball well, a trait he admits wasn’t one of Kramaric’s strengths.

The 64-year-old said: “Andrej wasn’t the main striker, he was more behind Vardy.

“But behind Vardy I prefer Leonardo Ulloa and Shinji Okazaki, because Ulloa covers the ball very well, he’s a fighter, and Okazaki is another who presses everybody every second.

“Kramaric has fantastic skill but sometimes he rests and recovers. This team can’t recover, they need to run, run, run.

“When I say we are building a good team, I would like to have two players for each position, so when I change, you don’t see the difference.

“Kramaric didn’t play, I have Ulloa, Okazaki and Vardy so I need one more I can change so the result is the same, I will have good strikers on the pitch.”