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Leicester’s failure to sign a partner for Jamie Vardy may cost them the Premier League title

By Rucker Haringey

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 23: Jamie Vardy (L) and Leonardo Ulloa (R)of Leicester City talk during the warm up prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Stoke City at The King Power Stadium on January 23, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 23: Jamie Vardy (L) and Leonardo Ulloa (R)of Leicester City talk during the warm up prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Stoke City at The King Power Stadium on January 23, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Leicester chased a number of attacking targets in January, but couldn’t find a partner for Jamie Vardy

Leicester cannot be blamed for lack of effort in their quest to find the right strike partner for star Jamie Vardy, but ultimately they came up short. That failure could cost them dearly in their race for a Premier League title.

While many fans and pundits believe Leicester will inevitably drift out of the race for the Premier League title, I disagree completely. I think there’s something special about this squad that gives them a chance to hang around until the last day of the season.

Unfortunately, their failure to add a second forward to play alongside Jamie Vardy may well be their undoing. One of the biggest concerns I have with their squad is that they are too reliant on Vardy’s brilliance to carry their attack. Adding someone to take the pressure off the England star would have been a huge boost for the Foxes down the stretch.

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Claudio Ranieri and company chased a variety of targets throughout January. In truth, they were rumored with almost every striker imaginable. Even in the last hours of the transfer window it was thought they had a deal to acquire Chelsea front man Loic Remy on loan.

The Independent reports that the deal was reportedly killed by Chelsea in the last hours after the Blues thought they had a chance to get Falcao off their wage bill instead. When the Falcao departure fell apart it was too late for the Foxes to revive the Remy deal.

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Leicester’s failure to close the deal on Remy, or one of the many other strikers they pursued in January, leaves them short of firepower down the stretch. The options to partner with Vardy in Ranieri’s preferred 4-4-2 formation aren’t what many would consider to be first-choice Premier League options. Neither Shinji Okazaki or Leonardo Ulloa have enough quality to be key cogs on a Premier League title-winning side.

Instead, Leicester will need Vardy and fellow star Riyad Mahrez to continue their magic throughout an entire Premier League season. While the fan in me would love to see that happen for the sheer entertainment value, my head tells me that a dip in form for at least one of the Fox talisman is exceedingly likely. Such a dip at the wrong time could be the end of Leicester’s title dreams.

Related Story: Leicester's January transfer policy showed real intent

Time will tell if Leicester has the staying power to make a real run at the Premier League title. I think they might, but certainly would have felt much better with one quality striker addition this January. Unfortunately they failed to make that crucial purchase, and it may cost them their chance at history.

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