Vardy turned the Gunners down after the club agreed a fee with Leicester City.
Jamie Vardy celebrates
Arsene Wenger has expressed his confusion to the Daily Mirror surrounding the failed deal to bring Jamie Vardy to Arsenal, maintaining that he is unsure why the striker rejected the Gunners.
Arsenal had reached an agreement with Premier League champions Leicester over a fee to bring the England international to the Emirates Stadium earlier in the summer, but Vardy declined and went on to sign a four-year contract extension with his current club.
Signing Vardy would have represented a major coup in a transfer window that has seen just one high-profile arrival at the Gunners – Granit Xhaka – and, while Wenger has told the Daily Mirror that he respects Vardy’s decision, he is also not 100% certain of the circumstances surrounding the potential transfer.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
“You have to respect decisions of people,” he said. “That’s part of it. In every transfer market you have one or two with decisions to make and you have to respect them.
“Look at the whole market. Very little happens. It’s about the availability of players. Huge amounts can be spent on average players.
“On Vardy, you should ask him that question. I cannot answer for him.”
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Vardy struck 24 times for the Foxes last year, and would have added firepower to an Arsenal side that is somewhat lacking in that department.
The Gunners continue to be linked with Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette but Wenger was quick to play down rumours of a potential move, saying: “We don’t speak about individual players.”
Securing the services of a striker may not be Wenger’s top priority at the present moment, given the club’s defensive frailties of late, but whether the Frenchman is prepared to depart with a large sum of money for new arrivals remains to be seen.
Alexandre Lacazette
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