Claudio Ranieri targeting Leicester City loanee
Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri is plotting a reunion with Leicester City loanee Islam Slimani in January, according to John Percy of The Telegraph.
Slimani is currently on a season-long loan at Fenerbahce; however, there is a possibility of the loan being cut short if Leicester can agree a deal with the Turkish outfit.
It is understood that Ranieri is very willing to bring in the 30-year old on a loan for the remainder of the season in order to boost his side’s survival hopes.
What is unclear, though, is how exactly does the former Sporting CP striker help the Lillywhites, when all he has managed is four goals in 17 games across all competitions for the Efsane.
It does seem like Ranieri really loves Slimani. It was the Italian who made the centre-forward Leicester’s record signing in the summer of 2016, buying him for a figure of around £29 million. Today, we remember him as the club’s most expensive flop, with each of his 13 goals effectively costing Leicester a hefty £2.23 million.
It was the kind of return that made Claude Puel loan him out to Newcastle United but things got even worse for him with the Toons. He missed ten fixtures in total – seven because of a thigh injury, and three because of a suspension. In the four games he played in, his only meaningful contribution was an assist against Arsenal.
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How times change. When Slimani was signed from Sporting, he was expected to form a formidable partnership with Jamie Vardy, but he just couldn’t find that touch from his days in Portugal. He still hasn’t, and probably won’t at this age.