Wenger on Vardy: ‘He will stay at Leicester’

Matt Stead

Arsene Wenger has intimated that Arsenal target Jamie Vardy will remain at Leicester this summer.

Arsenal made an approach for the striker before he travelled with the England squad to the European Championship, with the 29-year-old expected to make a decision after the tournament.

It was believed that the Gunners made the 24-goal striker a top priority signing in order to strengthen their bid to win a first Premier League title since 2004.

Leicester vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha stated this week that he expects Vardy to remain with the club, while the forward refused to discuss the move when asked over the weekend.

Speaking to Japanese TV on Saturday, Wenger himself admitted that the move is now unlikely to happen.

“Jamie Vardy, at the moment, is at Leicester,” the Frenchman said. “On what I know, he will stay at Leicester.”

On Sunday, the Mirror reported that Wenger would be offered a new two-year deal at the Emirates Stadium.

The Frenchman, who has been in charge since 1996, came under intense scrutiny last season as the club failed to win a trophy for the ninth season in 11.

But Steve Stammers of the Sunday Mirror reports that the club will offer Wenger a new two-year deal. It was also claimed that, were the move for Vardy not to materialise, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski would become their next target.

That’s Robert Lewandowski as sloppy seconds to Jamie Vardy, ladies and gentlemen.