Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has stated that he is not a magician and that his team’s transfer market expenditure pales in contrast to their competitors.
Brendan Rodgers said he cannot be expected to pull rabbits out of a hat while Leicester City’s transfer spending pales in comparison to the club’s rivals.
Ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final, the City boss set out the numbers that he believes show his side is punching above their weight. Rodgers compared his side’s spending with that of Aston Villa, West Ham, and Tuesday night’s opponents Newcastle to make clear how well he and his players had done over the past few years.
Indeed, City’s net transfer spend stands at around £10m since Rodgers took charge, in part because of big-money sales of Harry Maguire, Ben Chilwell, and Wesley Fofana. Newcastle, for example, has a net spend of more than £300m in that period, including £200m since their takeover in late 2021.
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He believes Newcastle will be able to bridge the gap to the big six and says life is becoming harder for his team while comparatively little money is spent on their squad. Rodgers says he’s cannot work miracles.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt (Newcastle will join the elite),” he said. “But those teams can’t be embarrassed to say that either. It’s one of the ways to move forwards in the game.
“If you look at Newcastle’s net spend in the last year, along with the fantastic coaching of Eddie and his staff plus the infrastructure from where they were to where they are now, they’re looking to build and create something. They’ll do it wisely and sensibly, but they have the resources to do that.
“If you look at our net spend since I’ve been here, it’s about £10m, in the three and half years I’ve been here. Compare that to our competitors, like Aston Villa, West Ham, and Newcastle, it’s over £250m. It’s a big difference. I think I’m a decent coach, but I’m not a magician.”
He believes the numbers emphasize how well his team has done to challenge for the Champions League places in two seasons and to win the FA Cup. And he says it does not stop him from attempting to find ways to keep up.
He added: “I think the players here have been exceptional. Two fifth-placed finishes and an eighth-placed finish, for that level of spending, it’s remarkable what the players have done.
“We’ll continue to fight against that level of competition. It won’t stop us from wanting to be the best we can be with the resources we have.
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