Ranieri: Leicester relegation may be a possibility

Claudio Ranieri has been forced to concede that relegation could be a possibility for his Leicester City side, but he remains confident he can lift the Foxes out of the danger zone.

The reigning Premier League champions find themselves five points above the bottom three following their 3-0 defeat to Southampton on Sunday – a far cry from the triumphs of last season.

They remain without an away win all season, and have lost half of their games during the current Premier League campaign.

But Ranieri knows the pressure is on to keep Leicester afloat, and he is keen to see his side hit the golden 40-point target as soon as possible.

(Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

“Our goal is to reach 40 points,” he said. “I said this from the beginning of the season.

“I maintain the focus on 40 points and we must do that as soon as possible. Of course, it [relegation] is realistic and that is why I want the 40 points.”

With just days to go until the January transfer window slams shut, it remains to be see whether Ranieri will bring any fresh faces into the Foxes camp.

But the Italian insists he is focused on getting more out of the players he already has on his books as he continues his search for a answer to Leicester’s woes.

“I must find the solution with these players,” he said.

“Of course, because if we don’t give (Jamie) Vardy the last pass it is difficult for him to try to do everything alone. The strikers need someone who can make the right pass to them.

“For this reason I change the system to try to help my players. But after the matches I lost, it is better to maintain the normal way.”