Two factors Leicester City have weigh up over Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho contract as promotion signals talks
The number nine is going into the final two matches of his current contract, with his age and his goals record at the heart of the decision over his future at the King Power Stadium
Leicester City will have to weigh up Jamie Vardy’s goals against his age when they decide whether to offer the talismanic striker a new contract.
Vardy’s deal ends this summer and, so far, no official talks have been held. It means that after 12 glorious years, the number nine may be heading into the final two games of his career at the King Power Stadium.
City supporters are prepared for that possibility. There will be a display in the stands for the final game of the season against Blackburn in tribute to Vardy and his goalscoring exploits over the past decade, a thank you in case it’s the final time he graces the pitch.
It’s not definitive that will be the case. Now it’s known which division City will be in next term, the club plan to sit down with all of their out-of-contract players. As well as Vardy, the current deals of Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Marc Albrighton, Jannik Vestergaard, and Dennis Praet expire at the end of June.
For Vardy, his goals and his age will be at the heart of the decision, manager Enzo Maresca has indicated. The striker turns 38 next January, but equally he’s been City’s top scorer this season, bagging 18 times in all competitions, with only Norwich’s Josh Sargent ranking above him for minutes per goal in the Championship.
“I’ve said this many times about Jamie: there’s no doubt in terms of the way he scores goals,” Maresca said on Friday afternoon, before City’s promotion was confirmed. “Probably the only doubt you can have with Jamie is about the age. He’s 37. But he’s showing he’s fit enough to compete.
“I knew that Jamie scored goals. He has always scored goals in his life. Until he stops, he will score goals. I’m not surprised with the amount of goals he’s scored with us.
“We are all happy about Jamie. At this moment, it’s just about trying to finish the season well. At the moment everything is decided, then we can take a decision. The focus is to play well, try to get promoted and then we can sit down with all of the guys who are out of contract.”
As things stand, Vardy sits fourth on the club’s all-time appearance-maker list, with 462 games. He ranks third for goals, behind only Arthur Chandler and Arthur Rowley, having scored 188 times for the club.
