Mandaric an evens chance to buy Leicester

Milan Mandaric has revealed there is a 50-50 chance of him buying Leicester. The Serbian businessman, who cut his remaining ties with Portsmouth 10 days ago after selling the club to millionaire Alexandre Gaydamak, is eager to repeat the success he enjoyed at Fratton Park with another club.

The 68-year-old has rejected approaches from League One sides Bournemouth and Millwall but is believed to have already held discussions with the Foxes and could make a move before the end of the year.

He told Portsmouth newspaper The News: "If I go back into British football, Leicester would be on my radar.

"They are a good club. They have been in the Premier League for six of the past 10 seasons. They have a nice stadium and good support levels. Even last season they averaged more than 20,000.

"On a scale of one to 10, it's an eight I will be back in English football. On the same scale, it would be an eight or a nine that I would go to a Championship club.

"I would say it's 50-50 Leicester. I'm not ruling it out. But there are a lot of things to unfold. "I want to repeat the experience I had at Portsmouth somewhere else.

"The club I went to would have to be right for me. And I would have to be right for them. It would have to be the perfect fit both ways -that's exactly what happened at Pompey, where the supporters always trusted me and never suspected me of a different agenda. They knew I was honest.

"But nothing is there yet. I'm still resting after the emotion of leaving Pompey. I want to be left alone for the moment, and people respect that.

"Am I ready for a new challenge yet? No I'm not ready. The earliest I could get involved is before the January transfer window - to have half a year in readiness for the following year. If it wasn't then, it would be at the start of next season."

Mandaric is wary of alienating Portsmouth supporters if he were to buy another club. He still intends to watch Pompey games at present and will be at Stamford Bridge when they play Chelsea in two weeks' time.

He said: "If I have any second thoughts, it's because I wonder if Pompey fans would forgive me. But there's nothing to forgive. I have done the job for the club's wonderful supporters. So I should be free to go somewhere else.

"I've had some fantastic letters from Pompey fans wishing me all the best in whatever I do next."

• Meanwhile, Portsmouth forward Lomana LuaLua has been released without charge after he was arrested during a domestic dispute with his partner today, his agent confirmed.

The 25-year-old was arrested in the early hours of this morning by officers, after the dispute at his Hampshire home.

The player's agent, Brad Warner, said: "It was a domestic dispute and the police have released him without charge. It's really not a big thing."

Warner said the Democratic Republic of Congo international had spent longer than usual in custody because of problems finding a translator for his partner, who speaks a dialect.

He was quizzed at Portsmouth central police station and released this evening.