Leicester City record signing Slimani looks perfect fit

Champions Leicester City shattered their transfer record to capture Islam Slimani late on transfer deadline day but buying the forward looks a shrewd piece of business.

Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri nearly doubled the reported 16M it took to bring striker Ahmed Musa from CSKA Moscow earlier in the window when shelling out nearly 30M for Slimani.

On the face of it Leicester now look to have a bit of a log jam in attack. Last season’s top scorer, Jamie Vardy, Shinji Okazaki, Leonardo Ulloa and the two newcomers are vying for two starting slots.

However, what Ranieri has bought himself are options especially considering his sides additional Champions League commitments this campaign.

On a player-by-player basis Okazaki’s starting position looks to be the one under threat.

Slimani possesses a similar work-ethic and can play with his back to goal, which would allow for Vardy running off into the spaces behind. Slimani is a more physical presence than Okazaki, at 6’2 is a hair taller than Ulloa and is a more reliable finisher than either at this stage of his career.

Ulloa looks to be the odd man out as five into two certainly doesn’t go. Even if Ranieri starts with Vardy and Okazaki before replacing them with Musa and Slimani, it’s impossible to imagine a fifth forward getting a look in.

The Foxes tried to ship the Argentinian to Sunderland and Swansea but weren’t able to get a deal done before the deadline.

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Slimani, an international team-mate of Foxes winger Riyad Mahrez, took advice from his countryman before signing on the dotted line.

“My friend Riyad Mahrez spoke to me about the Club and about the atmosphere the Leicester fans create at King Power Stadium,” Slimani told the official club website. “I will give absolutely everything I have on the pitch for them and for my team-mates and I hope that together we can achieve something special.”

Slimani notched 27 goals in 33 league games for Sporting Lisbon in Portugal last season. Perhaps of more interest to Foxes fans, he is nicknamed the ‘dragon-slayer’ after hitting six in six against FC Porto, who just happen to be in Leicester’s Champions League group.

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