Small matters of Champions League final and Richest Game in Football™ aside, the football season is as good as over.
Still a few weeks to go before the World Cup kicks off, we can now expect the transfer rumour mill to go into overdrive to help occupy our tiny minds for a little while. In fact, it already seems to have started.
This weekend has already seen (former?) England international Jack Wilshere linked with a move away from Arsenal, with claims in France suggesting claiming Paris Saint-Germain – yes, really – has emerged as a possible destination for the midfielder.
And it seems he’s not the only Englishman that could be leaving to go and ply his trade at a big European club this summer, either.
An exclusive in The Mirror reveals that Jamie Vardy is being lined up for a move to Atletico Madrid, who are likely to be seeking a replacement for Antoine Griezmann over the coming weeks.
Griezmann has reportedly agreed terms on a move to Barcelona and is expected to leave Atleti in the near future having helped them secure Europa League victory over Marseille last week. Diego Simeone has earmarked Vardy as a replacement after being impressed by him when Leicester faced his side in the Champions League quarter-finals last season.
Vardy is 31 now and has a couple of years still to run on his current deal with the Foxes, who he joined from Fleetwood Town for just £1m in 2012.
Leicester are said to have started talks with him over an extended deal and don’t want him to leave the club. Although rated at around £16m, it’s thought the Spanish club would have to bid of around £20m for his sale to even be considered.
Vardy joined Leciester from Fleetwood in 2012, costing £1m – a fee he’s more than justified since, helping them to Premier League glory two years ago and establishing himself as a regular for England.
