Leicester City’s billionaire owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha says he is optimistic of hanging on to the club’s key players next season amid speculation linking them to bigger rivals in England or Europe.
Premier League Player of the Season Jamie Vardy, PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez and midfielder N’Golo Kante played key roles in firing Leicester to a remarkable title-winning season.
“I am confident we can keep them and I think they will come with us,” Srivaddhanaprabha told British media.
“They can be the top players in our team. If they go to another team they might have to sit on the bench. Who knows?”
Leicester, who finished 10 points ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League table, will make their first appearance in the Champions League.
The Thai owner believes the club’s entry into Europe’s elite club competition will be an added incentive for them to hold onto their top players.
“We are playing in the Champions League and they are quite happy to stay in our team,” the club owner added.
Meanwhile, Leicester City paid a visit to Bangkok’s glittering Grand Palace yesterday and signed a well-wishing book for the country’s revered monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The 88-year-old Thai king ascended the throne 70 years ago and is the world’s longest-reigning monarch, but various ailments have kept him in hospital for a year.
The squad, led by manager Claudio Ranieri and captain Wes Morgan, did not meet the king but gathered with thousands of tourists at one of Bangkok’s top spots for visitors.
The Thai-owned club are on an end-of-season tour to celebrate their improbable ascendancy to the top of the Premier League following a campaign they started as 5000-1 outsiders for the title but ended as champions by a 10-point margin.
Srivaddhanaprabha, who led the party to the Grand Palace, said that he hoped the lessons learned by Leicester could serve to help Thailand’s national team to a similar success.
“We want to help Thailand go to the World Cup,” he said.
“Thailand can be at the top, just like Leicester City.”