Reigning Premier League champions Leicester City might retain their top scorer Jamie Vardy after all. Arsenal FC triggered the English striker’s £22 million release clause, and worked on finalizing a deal that would bring him to London. At one point, it really looked like this blockbuster move could be on.
Then Leicester made their pitch, and Vardy has reportedly been thinking it over ever since. Currently, the prevalent belief in the media is that he could go either way. While on international duty with England, he was asked if he could provide any updates on his club situation.
Vardy didn’t bite.
“No, nothing at all. I’m completely focused on England,” he said. “That’s all I want to do at the moment.”
Leicester Manager Claudio Ranieri, a source as close to Vardy as anybody, made an appearance on Sky Sport Italia a few days ago and confirmed that the star striker hasn’t reached a decision yet.
“We want to keep him,” Ranieri is quoted in Calcio Mercato.
“Arsenal have said that they are willing to pay the clause but he hasn’t accepted yet. It’s up to the player to say yes or no.”
Ranieri could stand lose N’Golo Kante and PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez as well to a bigger club this summer.
“I hope I can keep all of my champions and add those players we are looking for to strengthen the squad.”
A couple days prior to Ranieri’s comments, The Independent wrote that Jamie Vardy is “80 per cent” sure that he will reject a move to Arsenal in favor of staying with Premier League champions Leicester City. Ray Parlour, former Arsenal midfielder, said at about the same time that it looks like the move probably isn’t going to happen now. According to talkSPORT, Parlour is quoted:
“It looks like it isn’t happening now. I was at the Arsenal the other day and there were big reports flying around, and the club’s cameramen and digital staff had to get down to the training ground.”
“So it looked like it was going to happen – there was a medical being done. But it seems Vardy thought about it while on England duty, and suddenly there was a U-turn.”
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud said that Jamie Vardy wants to join Arsenal, and that he would welcome his arrival. Maybe both parties were ready to do this deal, and now both sides are actually getting cold feet?
On a side note, Vardy’s wife Rebekah Vardy, was teargassed on her way to the stadium for England’s opener versus Russia. (more on that here)
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye edition.
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