According to reports, defending champions Chelsea have their sights on Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy as Antonio Conte looks to boost his flailing squad with a few last-minute transfers. The English forward has lost his demand this time compared to what he had last summer but his quality remains undeniable in the attacking third.
After opening the campaign with a shocking loss against Burnley, Chelsea did great to win away from home against Tottenham Hotspur last week. However, their lack of depth on the bench remains a glaring vulnerability and Conte simply cannot push the whole season with those loopholes.
A poacher like Vardy could really turn things around up front for the Blues especially now with Alvaro Morata taking his own time to settle in a new league while Diego Costa remains in exile. Conte’s style of play involves patience and perfect counters, where the team presses high up the field and takes advantage of the slightest of mistakes from the opponents. And someone like Vardy could be of tremendous help to the Italian.
Conte has never really wanted a false number 9 who would fall down and do the hard work. He has a solid midfield to win the ball and play the passes, and a clinical finisher is all that he needs. 30-year-old Vardy has scored 64 goals in 169 league appearances for the Foxes since joining the side from non-league Fleetwood Town back in 2012 and is raring to go this season.
The 2018 World Cup is around the corner and this season would be immensely important for the centre forward. And what better platform than the elite European tournament to prove oneself. Leicester City are out of the Champions League and Vardy did decently last term. Leicester’s chances of winning the silverware are extremely slim with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United all investing hugely in the transfer market.
His increasing age would be yet another big reason. Vardy relies heavily on pace and finishing and he would want to get all his best years while he still has fuel in his lungs. He might have just three years at best ahead of him and he needs to make the most out of it.
After a heroic season with the Foxes in the 2015-16 campaign, Ranieri’s experiment with tactics resulted in a discouraging season for him last year as he could score just 12 goals in 32 outings. While Leicester wouldn’t want to miss out on him with the season already underway, Chelsea would be a hard side to resist.
