Arsene Wenger has said he does not regret missing out on signing Leicester forward Jamie Vardy during last summer’s transfer window. The Gunners reportedly triggered the Englishman’s release clause but Vardy elected to stay at the King Power Stadium (via Arsenal.com).
Tomorrow’s match at the Emirates Stadium would have a very different feel had Jamie Vardy signed for the Gunners last summer.
If reports are to be believed then a transfer for the 30-year-old was actually very close to being agreed but that Vardy himself decided to turn down the move.
Arsene Wenger was asked if he regrets not signing the Leicester man during his pre-match press conference but dismissed the idea.
“No, we are in a job where we have to accept the decisions of the players,” Wenger told the media.
“No, we did all we could [to sign him].”
The move for Vardy happened before Alexis Sanchez had made the successful transition to the centre-forward position. The Gunners were also without the injured Danny Welbeck and decided to sign Lucas Perez instead.
The Gunners have far more options up front now than they did last summer and Wenger was asked whether Vardy would have been the number one forward at the Emirates.
“No, he’d have been one of the strikers we have available,” Wenger went on. “You can’t guarantee a place at a club like Arsenal.”
So, there isn’t a great deal of regret from Wenger about the failed Jamie Vardy transfer. The Leicester man scored 24 Premier League goals last season but has managed just 11 in the league this term. Had the Gunners signed the Leicester man then Alexis Sanchez wouldn’t have made the transition to a central striker and probably wouldn’t have got as many goals as he has so far. In that sense, the Gunners were fortunate to not land Vardy.