Sampdoria midfielder Gaston Ramirez has spoken how close he came to signing for Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City.

Ramirez is now playing for Ranieri at Samp.

And he revealed, "We were very close and then things did not go as we wanted, but now we are happy to work together.

"In fact when he arrived he told me that since I hadn't gone to him he came to coach me. I was in the car on the last day of the market to go to sign but then the clubs (Southampton and Leicester) didn't come to an agreement and it all jumped.

"I would have liked it because I would have played in the Champions League. Now I am very happy at Sampdoria and with a coach of this level."