Does Jamie Vardy have one big move left in him?

Photo via Sky Sports

As the number of Premier League matches of consequence wains with every passing week, pundits begin to turn their attention to the transfer window. This week, the name in the papers is Liam Delap, with the Athletic even dubbing it “the striker transfer saga of the summer.”

The BBC reported that Everton have entered the race with Manchester United and Chelsea to sign the 22-year-old this summer, who has a £30m release clause in his contract. However, another striker is going on the market this summer and that man is Jamie Vardy.

Vardy’s 144 goals in 340 appearances, Golden Boot, and League title are certainly enough to grant him Premier League elite status, and likely an entrance to the newly created Premier League Hall of Fame introduced in 2021. But at 38 years old many are tipping him for a “retirement” move, perhaps to the MLS or Saudi Pro League, or even to the bright lights of Wrexham and their Hollywood owners. However, Yahoo Sports reported last week that Vardy is determined to stay in the Premier League.

Vardy scored eight goals in his 33 appearances for Leicester City last season, which made up the bulk of the 29 goals the Foxes scored in league play. While that number isn’t hugely impressive, Vardy is a player who thrives off through balls, something Leicester struggled to produce this season. 

Leicester ranked 15th out of the 20 Premier League clubs in terms of successful through balls played, with 50. By contrast, the last time Vardy scored double-digit goals in a Premier League season, which was in 2021/22 when he notched 15 times, the club ranked 9th overall in through balls. The season before that when Vardy also scored 15, the club was ranked third, according to statistics from the Premier League. While he has of course aged, the numbers suggest that in a team that plays through balls up to him, Vardy is still capable of scoring goals. 

In the top five for through balls delivered this season, are Manchester United at second with 88, and Chelsea at fourth with 76. If one of those clubs is expected to sign Liam Delap, the other could do much worse than a one-year contract with Jamie Vardy. 

But just behind Chelsea, with 74 through balls delivered this season so far, is Arsenal, the club who back in 2016 were favorites to sign Vardy after his title-winning season with the Foxes. The move ultimately failed, with Vardy opting to remain loyal to Leicester, but could that move make sense again almost a decade later?

Despite sitting second in the league, Arsenal doesn’t yet have a player in double digits for goals this season, Kai Havertz remains their top scorer with nine. The gunner's struggles to find a reliable striker have been well covered in recent years, with Gabriel Jesus and now Kai Havertz both unable to score more than 13 in a season.

As Brentford has shown this season, if you can’t find one player who can score twenty, find three who can score ten, and in a team that provides, Vardy is still capable of doing that. If a Premier League move is what he truly wants, Arsenal should consider giving him one. Who wouldn’t enjoy seeing one more season of Jamie Vardy on the world's best stage?