FA Cup winners Crystal Palace are reportedly among the clubs eyeing a deal to sign Jamie Vardy when the veteran forward becomes a free agent in the summer.
Vardy announced last month that he would be leaving Leicester City at the end of the season after 13 years. He made his final home appearance for the club on Sunday, scoring the opener in a 2-0 win over Ipswich Town.
With two matches remaining of the season, Crystal Palace are 12th in the table. They face Wolverhampton Wanderers at home tonight before travelling to champions Liverpool to end an impressive campaign.
Top-Level Experience Key For Crystal Palace Next Season
Whilst Palace’s season has been impressive, Oliver Glasner’s side will need to bolster their squad. Their victory over Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday means they will be playing in the Europa League next season.
Squad depth will be important as the Eagles balance the extra games, and someone with Vardy’s experience would have a number of benefits. In the Premier League, Vardy has 193 goals in 342 games.
He has also played in Europe before, having played nine games during Leicester City’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals in 2016-17. This will help ease the burden on Palace’s current forwards.
Vardy Compares Favourably to Current Options
Although at 38 you would expect Vardy to have seen less game time, he has still featured in all but two of Leicester’s games this season, playing the full 90 minutes on 20 occasions. In that time, he has nine goals and four assists, with ten goals in all competitions.
The only current Palace player with more league goals this season is Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has scored 14 times.
Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr are next on the list with seven. In all competitions, Eze and Sarr have 13 and 11, respectively.
Like Vardy, Mateta has played in 35 league games, although in Mateta’s case, 31 of those games have been starts.
Sarr is one of three Palace players to have played in all 36 games, the others being goalkeeper Dean Henderson and defender Tyrick Mitchell. Of Sarr’s 36 appearances, 28 have been starts.
Wages Demands May Prove Decisive
According to Pete O’Rourke on X, Crystal Palace are one of several clubs targeting the Leicester City icon.
However, wages may be a stumbling block.
One thing that seems to hang over every Premier League club is the Profit and Sustainability Rules.
This and Vardy’s current wages could be what ultimately prevents Palace from pursuing a deal unless the forward is prepared to take a pay cut.
According to Spotrac, Vardy is currently on £140,000 a week. This would not only make him the highest-paid player at the club.
The current highest-paid player at Crystal Palace is midfielder Daichi Kamada on £105,000. Eze and Henderson are both on £100,000 a week, with Eddie Nketiah on £90,000.
Of the players out of contract at the end of the season, the highest paid is defender Nathaniel Clyne on £50,000.
Which other clubs have been linked?
Perhaps inevitably, once news of Vardy’s upcoming Leicester departure was announced, he was linked with newly promoted Hollywood-backed Championship side Wrexham.
However, Vardy himself has suggested he still sees himself as being able to do a job in the top flight.
Everton could be an option with the Toffees in the market for a striker, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin likely to be leaving the club at the end of the season.
One of the newly promoted clubs could also be an option, with Leeds United probably most likely as they appear in need of another forward.
There is also the possibility that he could choose to move abroad. Old Firm duo Celtic and Rangers have both been linked, while many have suggested a move to Major League Soccer to wind down his career could also be an option.