PUEL KEEPS CASH
LEICESTER boss Claude Puel says he would rather be a talent scout than flash the cash for big-money players.
His side travel to Liverpool today with the Kop’s £75m new boy Virgil van Dijk looking on from the stands.
Puel managed the Dutch centreback during his brief spell at Southampton and claims he could become the best defender in the world.
But he insists he’d rather try to nurture young blood than buy the finished article.
He is ready to sanction a clear-out of talent worth over £60m from the King Power.
Three men who have all been club record buys can go if the price is right – Islam Slimani (£29m), Ahmed Musa (£16m) and Leo Ulloa (£10m), along with Yohan Benalouane (£6m) and Bartosz Kapustka (£5m). Puel, who is credited with helping to develop Chelsea star Eden Hazard and Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette during his time in France, believes brandishing the cheque book is not the way to go. He said: “I think it becomes a competition between great teams dealing with great players. “We have seen this with PSG in France and different teams paying crazy, crazy, crazy prices for some players. “It’s not my philosophy but perhaps in their place I would make the same decision. I prefer to try to develop my team.” Leicester will be without defender Danny Simpson, who has been ruled out for up to five weeks with a hamstring injury.