Claudio Ranieri: 'Unhappy players free to leave'

Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri has said that "unhappy" players will be free to leave the King Power Stadium when the January transfer window opens for business.

The Foxes currently sit down in 14th position in the Premier League table and it is understood that a number of players, including Jeffrey Schlupp and Demarai Gray, want to seek pastures new next month.

Ranieri has insisted that he will not keep uninterested players at the club, but has warned suitors that the Premier League champions will not be selling their stars on the cheap.

"I don't like to maintain players who are unhappy. This is my point of view - afterwards, there is the club. If someone goes, and we have to replace this or that player, we can get rid of him easily," Ranieri told reporters. "But it will cost a lot of money to replace him with someone else. That is the balance we have to achieve."

Leicester, who committed key players Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez to new long-term contracts in the summer, will continue their Premier League campaign with a trip to Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.