Leicester City: Delay in the Vardy Deal; Kante latest; midfield replacement targeted

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Leicester’s aspirations for next season are set to be decided in the coming days as Jamie Vardy continues to decide on his future. He is in talks about joining Arsenal, but the deal is far from done, with the striker yet to decide whether to leave the Foxes or not. BBC Sport state that Vardy was supposed to inform Arsenal of his decision before flying out to France with the England side, but that hasn’t been the case and this deal could drag out over the coming weeks with Vardy set to concentrate on Euro 2016. The delay is a positive for Leicester as it shows that Vardy isn’t desperate to leave and that he will only join Arsenal if he feels comfortable about the amount of playing time he will get.

This transfer is very important for the future of Leicester City as Vardy was central to their success last season. He allowed Leicester to play a counter-attacking style of play as his pace and tireless running made him the perfect forward for the Foxes. Also his exit could have a domino effect on the squad and could see Ngolo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Kasper Schmeichel all push for a move to a bigger club while their stock is at an all-time high. The England international would be difficult to replace and could force Claudio Ranieri into changing his entire tactical plan. The Mirror reports that Leicester have offered him a new contract and his team-mates have all tried to get him to stay. The next few days will be interesting.

The future of Ngolo Kante is another problem facing Leicester with the Mirror reporting that the midfielder is at the centre of a tug-of-war between PSG and Chelsea. The English club are ready to treble his current Leicester wage and pair him with Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan. The Frenchman looks to be the most likely to leave, as he has few ties to Leicester City and will want to advance to a bigger club while he is great form. His performances at the European Championships will only increase interest in him, and Leicester recognise his likely departure.

Kante has perhaps redefined the role of the defensive midfielder, similar to the way that his compatriot Claude Makelele did in his first season in England. Kante covers every blade of grass on the pitch, and produces tackles, blocks and interceptions to a number we haven’t seen before in England. He has remained consistent as well throughout Leicester’s title-winning campaign. Moreover, his ability on the ball is impressive as he can pick passes and carry the ball forward when needed. He has been one of the best signings of the Premier League era and it isn’t surprising that some of the biggest clubs in the world want to sign him.

The same report carries news that the champions are advancing their pursuit of Nampalys Mendy, a similar player to Kante. They suggest the club have made a firm bid of £12m, which could be enough to tempt Nice to sell. He would offer a different dimension to Kante, with his best attributes being with the ball, including being an excellent passer. This is highlighted by his 92% pass completion rate. He made just 1.33 tackles per game, far less than Kante who made an impressive 3.72, but the Premier League is a much more physical league and I’d expect Mendy’s stats without the ball to increase if he does join Leicester.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Alex Hannam