Struggling Leicester coach Ranieri not keen to let striker Ulloa go
>> LONDON: Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has indicated that Leonardo Ulloa is likely to stay at the club until the end of the season, despite British media reports that the striker had submitted a transfer request.
Ulloa has emerged as a target for Spanish side Alaves, but Ranieri said he was keen to keep the striker as he looks to steer the defending champions away from the relegation zone.
“I feel Ulloa will stay with Leicester for the rest of the season. Both parties are still talking,” Ranieri told a news conference on Friday.
“I want two strikers with the same strengths, so I want to keep Ulloa and [Islam] Slimani.”
Ulloa has made 12 Premier League appearances t his season, scoring once.
Ahead of yesterday’s matches, Leicester were 15th in the table, five points above the relegation zone.
The Foxes, who are yet to win on their travels in the league this season, visit Southampton today.
After their stunning run to the title last season, Ranieri said his team’s only objective for the current campaign was to get to the safety of 40 points to ensure they are not relegated.
“Sooner or later we will start to win away,” the manager added. “Our goal is to get 40 points as soon as possible. Now we have two away matches and we will try to do our best.
“Southampton are a good team. They keep the ball well and move it quickly. We need to concentrate and be aggressive.”
West Ham United have captured Portugal’s Euro 2016 winner Jose Fonte from Southampton on a 2½-year contract for £8 million, the London club said on Friday.
The central defender, who has the optiontosignforanotherseason,hadnot featuredforSouthamptonsincehanding in a transfer request earlier this month.
The south-coast club claimed he had repeatedly rejected improved terms but Fonte, who had 18 months left on his deal, countered that he had not been offered a new contract.
He moved to Crystal Palace from Benfica in 2007 and joined Southampton in 2010, making 288 appearances, including 154 in the Premier League. He was captain for the past 3½ seasons.
Fonte, who has family in London, said the size of West Ham and their passionate fans attracted him to the club along with the fact that manager Slaven Bilic was keen to sign him.
“The manager was... a very big influence. I thought that he really wanted me and that he sold me the project and the ambition of the club,” he said.
“I also have part of my family living in London and they are big West Ham fans. It just made sense for me at this stage to join West Ham. It is a new challenge and a new beginning...”