Claudio Ranieri: Arsenal and Liverpool target Ben Chilwell 'stays with Leicester'

The Foxes reportedly hope to secure England under-20s left-back on to a long-term deal after encouraging FA Cup display

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Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri says he is not interested in speculation linking Ben Chilwell with Arsenal and Liverpool.

The Foxes are reportedly hopeful the 19-year-old will sign a new contract after it was suggested the England under-20 international is paid just £800-per-week.

The Daily Telegraph’s report on 12 January reveals the Foxes are set to offer Chilwell, described by their Italian manager as ‘our future’, a new deal to keep him at the King Power Stadium.

Chilwell started the FA Cup third round tie with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening, a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is known to be a keen admirer of both the promising left-back and the scouting network at Leicester, allegedly making an offer in the region of £3.5m for the youthful defender back in the summer.

With 18 months left on his contract, the hierarchy at the East Midlands club are wary that now is the time to act if they are to keep Chilwell on their books.

Claudio Ranieri hopes to beat off Jurgen Klopp and secure Ben Chilwell on a new deal (PA)

The Milton Keynes-born left-back spent a short loan spell with Championship side Hudderfield Town at the end of 2015 after impressing during his Foxes debut in the Capital One Cup clash with Hull City in October.

Speaking this week, Ranieri said: “We are building and looking for good, talented young players. For this reason Ben and Demarai Gray are with us and this is our goal now, to build with talented young players.

“Ben is our future and he stays with us. He had a very great match against Spurs, he was sure and outstanding. I am very surprised with how well he played, but that is what I wanted.

“I am building a very good team with 22, 23 or 24 players and now I can rotate because there are so many matches. I said too many times this is a good club with good energy, a good strategy and our fans are very close to us.”