VIDEO: Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri laughs at title aspirations

Sitting atop the Premier League table with more than a third of the season in the bag, Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri has been fielding queries from the press concerning the Foxes' title hopes.

Speaking to reporters Thursday ahead of Saturday's visit from second-place Manchester United at the King Power Stadium, Ranieri was faced with a statement from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who called Leicester "title contenders."

The former Chelsea boss laughed at the suggestion, saying, "He's a joker."

A reporter then asked Ranieri if he thought his side were a threat to win the English top-flight, to which the Italian gaffer replied: "Thank you to Arsene, but Arsene knows very well the truth."

Ranieri was then pressed if he thought maybe the comments were made in lieu of the wide-open nature of the Premier League, to which the Foxes boss said: "Yes, that is true, it's open. It's very strange, but our goal is another.

"Our goal is forty points," continued the manager, implying that the club's goal is to achieve the threshold necessary to ensure safety in the Premier League.

After having lost only one league match all season - a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal - the Foxes sit top on 28 points, just 12 shy of Ranieri's goal for safety.

An always humble Ranieri then said that the goal was also looking towards next season, with an eye on challenging the top flight's elite sides United, Arsenal, and Manchester City at that time.