Man Utd interest comes to nothing as Vardy pens new Leicester contract and says he’s far from finished
Manchester United-linked striker Jamie Vardy has signed a contract extension which will keep him at Leicester until the summer of 2024.
Interest from United and Chelsea emerged over the last month after Vardy’s contract situation came to light. The 35-year-old’s existing deal was set to expire next summer and reports suggested he could move on.
Talks were not believed to have taken place over a new deal. Subsequently Man Utd and Chelsea were keeping tabs on his situation at the King Power Stadium.
But the ex-England forward, who joined the Foxes from then non-league Fleetwood in May 2012, has since been quick to pen a new deal.
Vardy has made 387 appearances for the club and scored 164 goals in all competitions. And he says it was an easy decision once the club made their intentions clear, leaving Manchester United to look elsewhere for a striker.
A statement on City’s official website said: “Leicester City Football Club is delighted to confirm that Jamie Vardy has agreed a contract extension with the Foxes to June 2024.”
While Vardy told LCFC TV: “I’m obviously over the moon. Once I heard it was something the club was looking at, there was only one thing that was going to happen, and I was going to sign it. The decision was easy.
Vardy: ‘My legs are feeling great’
“I’ve been here long enough now that I feel like part of the furniture. I think you can see with the way we’re trying to play, the way the club’s wanting to go, that it’s going to be onwards and upwards.
“To carry on being involved with that, I was over the moon. Now it’s all about this season and finishing as high as we can. My legs are still feeling great so I’ll carry that on helping the club as much as I can, whether that’s scoring or assisting, that’s what I’m here to do.”
Vardy has started both Premier League games this season and assisted in the 2-2 draw with Brentford.
The Sheffield-born forward has played a key role in Leicester’s rise to prominence. He scored 16 goals as they won promotion to the Premier League in 2014, and then managing 24 as the Foxes unbelievably won the Premier League in 2016.
He also won 26 England caps and scored seven goals before announcing his retirement from international football in 2018.