West Ham United are one of several clubs who are believed to be interested in signing former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy.
The former Foxes frontman is a free agent after leaving Cremonese following their relegation from Serie A last season.
Vardy, who is a former Premier League and Golden Boot winner in England’s top flight, has been linked with a move to East London by Sky Sports.
Sports Broadcaster and Leicester fan Ben Jacobs has also reported that the Hammers have enquired about the 39-year-old.
Vardy is a name that needs no introduction to almost all football supporters, given his vast experience in the game. Beginning his career at the end of the last century in Sheffield Wednesday’s youth system, the South Yorkshire-born striker had to drop down to local side Stocksbridge Park Steels to forge a career. Still playing non-league football in his mid-20s, the 26-cap England international is one of the most famous examples of a player breaking through later in their career.
After banging in the goals at Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town, he became non-league’s first £1m player. That still stands as a record today, with Boreham Wood’s Abdul Abdulmalik attracting interest at a similar rumoured fee. Joining Leicester, he became one of the Foxes’ finest ever players, helping them win promotion from the Championship before establishing himself as a top-class Premier League striker.
Alongside his efforts to help the East Midlands outfit pull off their 5000-1 title triumph, he helped them achieve European football and win the FA Cup, as well as winning the Golden Boot in 2019/20. Finishing his Foxes career in fitting fashion by scoring 200 goals in 500 appearances, Vardy notched seven goals in Italy’s top flight last term.
Does A Move To West Ham Make Sense?
Currently, it probably doesn’t. West Ham already have plenty of firepower in attacking areas, and their best business this summer has undoubtedly been keeping hold of star player Jarrod Bowen. Most expected him to depart following the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League, but he further committed his future to the club earlier this summer. The England international scored against Portsmouth in the League Cup on Saturday, with Tasty Castellanos bagging a brace in their 3-1 victory over Pompey.
Losing Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville for mouth-watering fees for a Championship side has opened up plenty of avenues for West Ham in the remaining weeks of the window. In the last hour, they have had an offer for AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott knocked back. The former Tottenham Hotspur man, who scored a famous hat-trick for the Republic of Ireland against Hungary in the World Cup qualifiers last month, appears to be the name at the top of their list for a new forward.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that an agreement in principle has been reached with Spurs for Manor Solomon. While Vardy won’t be short of offers this summer, it appears that his name is perhaps lower down West Ham’s shopping list, and any deal would happen towards the end of the transfer window.
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