Football
PA sport 9y

Leicester's Gokhan Inler rejects comparisons to Esteban Cambiasso

Gokhan Inler insists he is his own man and wants to be judged on his own merits at Leicester.

The midfielder does not want to be compared to Esteban Cambiasso after penning a three-year deal from Napoli.

Boss Claudio Ranieri has been searching for a replacement for Cambiasso after the midfielder opted to leave at the end of his contract this summer and join Olympiacos.

But Switzerland captain Inler dismissed suggestions he is a direct replacement for the ex-Argentina international as he looks to make his mark at the Foxes.

He said: "This is a good question but for me the squad is important. I know what you said but first of all it is the team. I will give my best, give my quality to the team.

"When we win, we win together. When we lose, we lose together. It doesn't matter whether I play like Esteban or not.

"My experience is different, I had also high level games. I also play in a national team with young players and my experience is good for the young players. I can show them how they are and how they can play. I will give my positive energy to them."

Ranieri is yet to decide whether Inler will make his Premier League debut against Tottenham on Saturday but he has no fresh injury worries with only Matty James recovering from a long-term knee injury and Christian Fuchs expected to shake off an illness.

But the Italian is pleased to have wrapped up the Inler deal to clinch Leicester's sixth summer signing.

He said: "It was very complicated but I wasn't involved with all of the traffic. I spoke every day with [director] Jon Rudkin and he told me 'don't worry, he will arrive' and I say the same to you.

"I spoke with Gokhan, I said to him 'if you come here, you will go back young.' The spirit here, the unit, the staff, everybody around me is fantastic. I told him what happens here in Leicester."

Ranieri believes Leicester can mirror Napoli after Inler was added to the signings of Shinji Okazaki, Christian Fuchs and N'Golo Kante this summer.

The Foxes boss reckons the club's pulling power will start to attract the top players to the King Power Stadium.

Ranieri compared the club to Napoli, who he managed between 1991 and 1993, after Diego Maradona moved to Naples in 1984.

The Foxes have won their first two games of the season to sit joint top and Ranieri insisted they will be a big draw.

"Our chairman wants to build a very good team and that's why I'm here," he said. "We want to build our foundation and with a big foundation you can then build the first floor, second floor and everything. Inler is one of our foundations.

"I remember when nobody wanted to go to Napoli. But after Maradona everyone wanted to go to Napoli.

"If we start to build, maybe in three or four years a lot of players will want to come to Leicester. Why not?"

The Italian also agreed with Inler that he should not be compared to Cambiasso.

"It's not important now to compare Esteban with Gokhan. Maybe he can be better," Ranieri added. "Cambiasso was a story but now we must write a new story."

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