The internet exploded yesterday when news broke that Arsenal had activated Jamie Vardy’s release clause, and just in case there was any doubt, Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri has now confirmed the bid, as reported by Calcio Mercto Web.
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The Italian outlet suggests the release clause is in the region of £18m, while reports from the English media claim it’s more like £20m (via the Daily Mail). Regardless of the fee though, Ranieri has confirmed that the interest is real, which suggests the move is really close.
Manager’s don’t normally reveal that there’s any chance of their players leaving unless they think a deal is done or it’s out of their hands, so Ranieri’s admission says a lot about the potential switch.
The Italian manager didn’t go into too much detail about the bid, but when asked about Vardy moving to Arsenal he simply confirmed that: “It’s all true.”
While many fans were expecting to see a striker arrive this summer, the official bid for Vardy was certainly a bit of a shock. There have been rumblings on social media linking the 29-year-old with Arsenal, but there were by no means any even remotely concrete reports. He looks like he may well make the switch to Arsenal before the Euro 2016 Championships get underway though, with Arsene Wenger really looking to get his business done early.
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There are many questioning Vardy’s suitability for Arsenal and the way we play, but we may not know just how he’ll fit in – and how Wenger might adapt in order to accommodate him – until we potentially see him in an Arsenal shirt next season. This one really has picked up speed quickly though, and it this point it would actually be more surprising if the move were to not go through.
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