LONDON, Sporting Alert – Arsenal are set to look elsewhere for a striker, following reports that Jamie Vardy has snubbed the Gunners to stay at champions Leicester City.
Several media outlets in England, including BBC and Sky Sports, revealed that Arsenal triggered the £20million release clause in the striker’s contract earlier this month and was prepared to pay the player a salary of almost £120,000 per week.
However, Marca and the Mirror are both reporting that Vardy has opted to stick with Leicester City, after helping the Foxes lift the English Premier League trophy this past season, the club’s first ever top flight title.
The BBC is also reporting that the Leicester City responded with its own offer which is worth around £100,000 per week and would extend the forward’s contract with the Premier League champions until 2020.
Vardy only recently signed a three-year deal in February.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is not making any plans to improve is offer and will pursue alternative options, as he seeks to bolster his attacking line at the Emirates.
When asked about any possible deal to bring Vardy to Arsenal, Wenger told DeSports: “No, no. Jamie Vardy is at the moment at Leicester, and on what I know he will stay at Leicester.”
Vardy joined Leicester from non-league Fleetwood Town for just one million pound four-years-ago, and he had an outstanding season last term.
The 29-year-old scored 24 league goals last campaign, which was bettered only by Tottenham forward Harry Kane, who tallied 25.
It is understood that Wenger still has his eyes on signing Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema, but the Frenchman wants to remain with the Spanish giants.
The Italian press is also reporting that Arsenal would like to bring former Manchester City forward Stevan Jovetic back to the English Premier League.
According to Corriere dello Sport, the Gunners have “made serious steps” towards signing the Montenegro international from Italian Serie A side Inter Milan.
