Five players Ranieri could turn to in Leicester striker search

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri is very much up to his tinkering ways during this January transfer window, and the Foxes boss isn’t done yet.

Ranieri allowed Andrej Kramaric to join Hoffenheim on loan until the end of the campaign, with the £9m signing failing to oust Leonardo Ulloa or Shinji Okazaki in the number 10 role in Leicester’s 4-4-2 formation.

While Kramaric departs with no ill-feeling, Raneiri is nevertheless left with just three recognised strikers at the King Power stadium, and the 64-year-old has made clear he wants to bring in a new face before the window closes in two weeks’ time.

But who will he bring in to boost Leicester’s wonderfully unbelievable yet still very much possible title-charge?

We’ve had a look at five potential options…

Georgios Samaras

A free agent since the summer, former Celtic hotshot Georgios Samaras is familiar with both the Premier League and Claudio Ranieri from their short time together at Greece.

A hustling, bustling centre forward, Samaras would provide Ranieri with alternative options from Leicester’s current roster. He’s nearly 31, but he could be a useful asset as the crunch period of the season looms.

Mirko Vucinic

A favourite of Ranieri’s during the Italian’s time in charge of Roma, 32-year-old Mirko Vucinic is currently winding down his days in the UAE.

Like Samaras he wouldn’t cost much, and he knows what a title-run feels like from his days in the Italian capital and at Juventus. His experience could be just as useful off the pitch as much as on it.

Graziano Pelle

The 6ft 4in Southampton man has been courted by many an English club since arriving in the Premier League two seasons ago.

18 goals from 54 appearances is a tidy return for a mid-table club, and he would be more up to speed with the demands of English football than others on this list.

Konstantinos Mitroglou

Aside from a disastrous stint after a £12m move to relegation-bound Fulham in 2014, Konstantinos Mitroglou boasts a superb goal record.

Again familiar with Ranieri from his time with Greece, Mitroglou is currently on loan to Benfica from Fulham, and is averaging a goal every 2.5 games.

Fulham would demand a sizeable fee, but at 27 the striker should be at the peak of his career.

Stephan El Shaarawy

In a season where Jamie Vardy can be linked to Real Madrid, Leicester can be linked with AC Milan’s Stephan El Shaarawy

Unwanted by AC Milan, the man once tipped as one of Europe’s brightest talents has seen his career stall of late. The 23-year-old spent the first half of the season on-loan at Monaco, but terms of the deal meant the French club wouldn’t play him anymore.

His best years should still be ahead of him, but will he fit into Ranieri’s style of constant pressure the King Power?

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