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Leicester City news: Claudio Ranieri still 'laughing' despite fears of an exodus as chief scout Steve Walsh nears exit

Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam also revealed he believes Riyad Mahrez should leave this summer

Samuel Stevens
Tuesday 19 July 2016 11:54 BST
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Claudio Ranieri and Wes Morgan in talks during pre-season
Claudio Ranieri and Wes Morgan in talks during pre-season

Claudio Ranieri, the Leicester City manager, insists he is still “laughing” despite selling N'Golo Kanté to Chelsea for £30m and being set to lose head of recruitment Steve Walsh to Everton.

Former school teacher Walsh, who also operates as assistant manager alongside Craig Shakespeare, is expected to join Ronald Koeman at Everton as director of football after the Merseyside club missed out on Sevilla technical director Monchi last month.

Riyad Mahrez, the Algerian winger who won the PFA Player of the Year award last season, is also holding back on giving the Premier League champions a definitive answer after being offered a new contract reported to be worth in the region of £100,000-a-week.

Charlie Adam, the Stoke City midfielder, revealed on BBC Radio last night that he believes Mahrez should leave the King Power Stadium, citing the fact that Leicester's triumph “was a one-off season” which they won't be able to replicate alongside their Champions League commitments.

However, the departure of Walsh, the brother of former Everton striker Mickey, will be a major setback after proving integral to Leicester’s recruitment policy in recent seasons and helping to stitch the wounds caused by Nigel Pearson’s acrimonious dismissal last summer.

Title rivals Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have appointed new managers in Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho in response to Ranieri’s title-winning feat last season, and the Roman believes that heaps the pressure onto their shoulders.

Ranieri, speaking to various newspapers ahead of the friendly against Oxford United tonight, said: “For this reason they must win. Leicester City? People are just curious. What will happen with Leicester? What can Leicester do next season? Repeat?

“To win is a dream. I want to see if the bookmakers put 6,000/1 again. We just think about training to beat teams.

“Everything’s different now. You imagine the big teams who didn’t win, who didn’t make the Champions’ League. They are going crazy now, they want to kill now. Not just us, but all the others.

“They both have new managers, fantastic managers. Antonio Conte is fantastic; José, everybody knows José. Pep Guardiola is an amazing person, good manager. I’m laughing because at the end only one will win. And the pressure is not on me, it’s on them.

“I am very curious. I want to see my team fighting the same. Then, I know its results — you can win, you can lose.”

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