Arsenal gunning for Vardy

ARSENAL are in talks to complete a dramatic £20-million transfer of England striker Jamie Vardy from new English Premier League champions Leicester City.

In a development that is reminiscent of Alex Ferguson’s £24-million deal for striker Robin van Persie ahead of his final season at Manchester United, Arsène Wenger has sanctioned the move for Vardy, who turns 30 next year.

Vardy has a release clause of £20-million in his Leicester deal and, while Arsenal have not yet formally triggered that clause, an offer is imminent and the deal could move quickly over the next 48 hours.

Wenger’s pursuit of Vardy is further evidence, following the signing last summer of Petr Cech, of a manager now able to operate much more in the here and now than during most of the past decade, when he spent money exclusively on players near the start of their careers.

It’s also an acknowledgment of Arsenal’s belief that Vardy’s physical condition will allow him to play at the highest level until well into his 30s.

Vardy’s impact in the Premier League has been great.

He scored 24 goals last season to spearhead Leicester’s surge to the Premier League title and their manager, Claudio Ranieri, still hopes that he can be persuaded to stay.

Vardy signed a new contract in February, worth about £60 000 a week until 2019, but Arsenal could offer a four-year deal worth more than £100 000 a week until 2020.

Leicester’s Thai owners, however, could yet sanction a counter offer.

The decision will ultimately rest with Vardy, who is with the England squad ahead of the European Championship. England travel to Chantilly in France tomorrow, leaving this weekend as the most likely window to complete the deal.

Moving to Arsenal would continue an extraordinary late career surge for Vardy, who only broke into the professional game in 2012, after nine years in nonleague football.

It would also continue the club’s active start to the transfer window, with Wenger having completed a £30-million deal for Switzerland central midfielder Granit Xhaka.

Leicester, meanwhile, have made their first summer signing with the acquisition of German goalie Ron-Robert Zieler, 27, from Hannover. —