Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has insisted that Manchester United’s reported interest in Danny Drinkwater is good for the club.
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Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri has stated that he is surprised following reports linking his star playmaker Danny Drinkwater with a move to Manchester United, according to the Daily Star.
The United boss criticised Ranieri earlier in their careers for the Italian’s poor English and lack of silverware, before the Foxes triumphed to Premier League success last season while Jose Mourinho was sacked from Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Leicester could be without goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel for the trip to Old Trafford after he suffered an muscle strain in training on Thursday and will be assessed ahead of the game.
He then made the move to Leicester in 2012 where he has become an integral member of a squad that achieved promotion to the Premier League, then survival and a title victory last season.
Ranieri has mainly remained quiet, but did defend himself in 2008 when he said he did not need trophies to be sure of himself.
Now Ranieri says the Foxes have nothing to fear and are ready to snap at Jose Mourinho’s Reds, with Jamie Vardy hungry for goals.
“It’s fantastic, very good”, he said when asked to describe his relationship with Mourinho. “It was a long time ago, I’m OK”. Every manager has a big job to do.
“He is a great manager, a fantastic person”, said Ranieri. “If he wants to go to Man United, OK, but we want to keep him”.
Leicester are two points behind United in the Premier League, with Mourinho having lost three straight games in all competitions, including a derby defeat to Manchester City, before Wednesday’s 3-1 EFL Cup win at Northampton.
However, Ranieri believes Mourinho’s public criticism of some of his players could be a sign of the mind games the former Real Madrid boss often employs in order to spur on his team.
‘When you change a coach, players, you need to work hard to complete your idea with the new players, ‘ he added.
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“I think this is speculation and also when you grow up, it’s normal that a lot of big teams want you”, he said.
