Neville Hits Out At Critics

Football Director Andrew Neville has hit back at critics who have accused Leicester City of buying their way into the Premier League.

Speaking to the Leicester Mercury Neville said that assertions we are buying the league and that our transfer behaviour has been untoward were 'irritating' and pointed to the fact that the figures being bandied around in the press were far higher than what was actually spent this window.

'The suggestion we are buying promotion is getting a wee bit irritating. You could say the same about Manchester City and Chelsea, I am sure West Ham and Southampton have spent a lot of money. We have just tried to get the best value we can on the players we have been targeting.'

Neville continues to add that some reports suggesting we have paid £15m in total this summer for players are well wide of the mark.

'Some of the fees we have been quoted as paying for players is ridiculous, they have just been inflated.'

Not only is that due to add ons that might not be paid, but for example I believe the initial fee quoted for Jermaine Beckford was in the region of £4.5m yet it's now being said the real fee was more like £2.5m - if I've remembered the right player here.

Neville also maintains that City withdrew from a number of deals because the selling club over inflated the asking price and paying over the odds was something the club were not prepared to do.

'We have withdrawn from deals where we felt it wasn't right to pay that much. I don't think we have paid over the odds for anyone. I think we have got good value for the club in every deal we did.'

It's a fine line to tread, with so many players coming up, plus a few headline signings I would imagine a fair few people think we are buying the league. that's not a perception you can really get away from.

All that matters is whether the club think they made the right deals, and for fans whether those deals will have been right will be shown at the end of the season.

Vital Leicester on:

Vital Leicester on:

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.