Manchester United have an interest in signing Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy on a short deal. According to Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic, the former England striker is just one of the options the Old Trafford club is considering to solve their issues at the top of the pitch.
All About Manchester United’s Interest in the Jamie Vardy Transfer
🚨 EXCLUSIVE 🚨
Manchester United are ready to offer Jamie Vardy a one-year deal if he joins from Leicester City.
More to follow. pic.twitter.com/Z1v1BoNR0i
— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) August 15, 2022
Why Are Manchester United Considering Jamie Vardy?
After the demolition of Erik ten Hag’s side against Brentford, Manchester United are looking for options up front to change the side’s prospects going forwards. With an injury-prone Anthony Martial and a disgruntled Cristiano Ronaldo the only other options at the top of the pitch, another striker is a necessity for the Red Devils.
According to Whitwell, the hierarchy at Old Trafford are considering a selection of centre-forwards. Jamie Vardy, a former Premier League winner with current club Leicester, is just one option, with others including Espanyol’s Raul de Tomas and Alvaro Morata at Juventus, after the pursuit of Marko Arnautovic ran cold. Getting a striker is essential, and the England star is one of the few players available.
How Can Jamie Vardy Fit In?
In the event of Vardy joining, the forward slots into the side exactly where Ronaldo has in recent weeks. The Leicester frontman is a traditional number nine. This means that he will be waiting for opportunities to pick up on chances created by Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes, poaching goals and using his pace to get in behind defences.
This is in contrast to the way Manchester United lined up against Brighton & Hove Albion. Christian Eriksen played as a false nine, attracting the attention of defenders and drawing players out of position. If Vardy is low on fitness at any point, in part due to his age, there is enough flexibility in Ten Hag’s system to account for slower forwards.
Is the Leicester Forward the Right Move?
Signing the Leicester striker would not be an ideal move for the Red Devils. Firstly, Vardy represents a relative lack of invention for the club. For a side of Manchester United’s resource, the former England centre-forward is likely soon to decline as his legs can’t keep up with the demands of the game. The Leicester star is far from past it, but he doesn’t have the potential to be a long-term solution to the club’s problems.
This signing also shows that the club are not learning. Bringing Vardy to Old Trafford is just another 30+-year-old striker that the hierarchy brings in as a snap solution to a problem. Following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Alexis Sanchez isn’t the ideal selection of Manchester United tenures. The former international’s move would herald a lack of culture change at United and a sign that things simply won’t change under Ten Hag.
