Claude Puel vows to build Leicester team around Harry Maguire

Leicester boss Claude Puel wants to build his team around Harry Maguire and has no intention of selling the defender.

Maguire has impressed this season since his £17million arrival from Hull last summer and made his England debut against Lithuania in October.

Reports this week have linked some of the Premier League’s big clubs with a move for the 25-year-old centre-half, with champions Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham all mentioned.

But Puel sees Maguire as an integral part of his plans at Leicester and dismissed the possibility of a move away from the King Power Stadium.

“He is a valuable player for us and I want to build my team around him. It is just speculation,” said the Frenchman.

“He came into Leicester and played and developed and he needs to continue to improve. He’s a young player with fantastic attributes, an international player, and it is a good thing to have this player at Leicester.

“He is an important player for us and it is important to give him a good feeling for the future, to build a good team around him and to keep a good ambition for the future.”

Asked if that meant he would not be selling Maguire, Puel replied: “Of course.”

Leicester host Southampton on Thursday and Puel revealed that goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has yet to resume training after suffering an ankle injury at Burnley over the weekend.

Schmeichel needed to be replaced by Ben Hamer during the 2-1 defeat at Turf Moor, but the Denmark international will be given every chance to recover.

“It was a fall and a knock. The problem is in his ankle and we will see if he can play in this game,” said the former Saints boss.

“We will see tomorrow. For the moment, he cannot train with us. We need to adapt to the situation, of course, like we have done already.”