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03rd Jun 2016

Leicester City confirm World Cup winner as their first summer signing

Kevin Beirne

Pinch yourself all you like, you’re not dreaming; Leicester City really are Premier League champions.

The Foxes put together the most unlikely title challenge in modern football and won the league title at a canter this year, finishing 10 points above second-placed Arsenal when all things were said and done.

They now find themselves in unfamiliar territory of coming into a Premier League season with a target on their backs, and they know that the added pressures of Champions League football will put a strain on what was the most stable starting XI in the league this season.

So it’s no surprise to see the champions of England strengthening this summer, and they’ve already locked up their first summer signing – German goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler.

Kasper Schmeichel filled the role between the sticks this season for the Foxes, but the Dane now finds his job under threat somewhat from the former Manchester United youth academy player.

Zieler, a World Cup winner with Germany as the third-choice keeper in Brazil two years ago, arrives at the King Power Stadium from Hannover 96 for a fee believed to be around £4m. Despite his involvement in the squad at the World Cup, the 27-year-old has been left out of this summer’s trip to France.

While it might seem unlikely the Schmeichel will lose his job, Zieler is unlikely to be happy to simply sit on the bench at Leicester considering he has left a starting role in the Bundesliga to joining the Premier League champions.

And if you don’t believe us about him being a world champion, here’s a snap of him looking extremely awkward as his international teammates celebrated after beating Argentina two summers ago.

Germany v Argentina: 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final