Vardy explains why he stayed at Leicester after Arsenal interest

Follow us on Google Discover

Jamie Vardy says he turned down Arsenal in the summer to build on last season’s title success at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy celebrates scoring their first goal

The Leicester City and England man was a target for Arsenal as they looked to bolster their striking options, with the Gunners triggering a £20 million release clause, as reported by the Guardian. But after much deliberation, Vardy decided to stay with the Foxes and continue with Claudio Ranieri’s men.

Talking to ESPN, Vardy insisted: “It wasn’t to do with ‘loyalty’ or how I feel about my teammates, players always come and go.

“It was more a case of seeing Leicester as a club that wanted to build on what we achieved with the title and I want to be part of that. I’m happy with how everything has turned out.

“‘The dream continues,’ Claudio texted me after I agreed to stay. That’s exactly how I felt, too.”

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri with Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy after the match

Vardy at Leicester seems a perfect fit in terms of his playing style and ahead of a potential move to North London plenty wondered how he would fare given how Arsene Wenger wants his side to play – it was something that was clearly on Vardy’s mind.

“I tried to work out the pros and cons,” Vardy said. “With people like Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil creating chances, Arsenal felt they could benefit me as much as I could them.

“But I also thought about the tactical aspect. You look at Arsenal’s style of play and they don’t get the ball forward quickly in the same way Leicester do for those runs I like to make in behind the defence.”

Turning down a club like Arsenal wasn’t a decision taken lightly by the 29 year-old, although it’s clear that the club are looking to build for a bright and exciting future.

Signing Islam Slimani for a club record £29 million, according to BBC Sport, is a statement in itself and if they can keep hold of the likes of Kasper Schmeichel and Riyad Mahrez next summer the club can remain an attractive proposition for top players.

Leicester City’s Islam Slimani celebrates scoring their first goal

The Foxes have had a shaky start to their title defence already losing three games in the Premier League, as many losses as they suffered in the entire 2015-16 campaign.

However, Vardy and his teammates have picked up back-to-back wins on their debut year in the Champions League. It’s occasions like Tuesday night the front man will hope to experience much more of in a Leicester shirt.