Leicester’s Jamie Vardy will have a big decision to make on his future after the European Championships, regardless of what the Three Lions achieve.
Arsenal have triggered the £20m release clause in the Premier League Champion’s contract and have offered the former Fleetwood man a contract.
It has also been reported that in the wake of the bid, Claudio Ranieri and Leicester have offered the England International a lucrative new contract.
The bid from Arsenal came as somewhat of a surprise to many fans as although Arsene Wenger is in the market for a centre-forward, Vardy’s name was never one mentioned until a bid was lodged.
Should Vardy decide to leave Leicester where he is held in the highest esteem, there will be plenty of pros and cons to the deal for Arsenal. Transfer Tavern picks out the two most important of each.
Hit Vardy below to see TWO pros and TWO cons to Arsenal signing this striker!
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PRO 1: GOALS GALORE
Arsenal are in desperate need of a prolific striker, it is as simple as that, and should Vardy continue his title winning form of the last campaign they will get just that.
Wenger’s current options are spread rather thin with Giroud now only the real recognised centre-forward, after Theo Walott failed to impress in a more central role and with former Manchester United man, Danny Welbeck, being deployed in a wider position.
Furthermore Walcott could even be set to leave the Emirates this summer in search of more regular first team football.
In Jamie Vardy, unlike Olivier Giroud, Arsenal will get a player who loves to test and stretch opposition defences, making runs in the channels and with the service of the ‘King of Assists’ Mesut Ozil, the 29-year-old could be just what Arsenal need.
PRO 2: BOOST FOR GIROUD?
The acquisition of Jamie Vardy could simply do wonders for Wenger’s current main man, Olivier Giroud. There is not much better competition for a striker than a Premier League Champion joining in your position.
Giroud struggled somewhat last season, netting 16 goals in Premier League fixtures compared to the 24 that Jamie Vardy bagged for Leicester.
It is unlikely that Wenger will opt to play two up top so Vardy’s move to could just be the catalyst that the Frenchman needs to go on and have a stellar season.
CON 1: BIG MONEY
£20m is a lot of money for any player, maybe not for the likes of Arsenal, but that price tag is likely to put pressure on Vardy. Not only is it simply a large sum but it is a lot to spend on a centre forward of Vardy’s age (29). It can be argued that nowadays some players can go a lot longer due to the specialist fitness facilities available, but last season may have just been the perfect end to Vardy’s story.
Vardy joined Leicester in 2012 for just £1m from Fleetwood Town so has never experienced the pressure of having to perform with a multi-million pound price tag hanging over him, the shear expectation could phase him.
CON 2: WOULD HE FIT IN?
The styles of both Leicester and Arsenal vary somewhat and Vardy may struggle to fit in to Wenger’s team. Last season, especially in their final push towards the title, Leicester found most success in sitting back and earning 1-0 wins on the break against their opposition.
This is a style that would not sit well with the fans and manager alike at Arsenal and Wenger is unlikely to mould a team around Vardy, he will not be the star man in North London.
The more dominant and possession based style that Wenger prefers his sides to play would not fit well with Vardy’s smash and grab attitude, this may be a key area in which he struggles.
Despite the price tag and other cons to Vardy moving to the Emirates, if the deal does come to fruition then it is something that Arsenal fans will have every right to get excited about.
