Arsenal legend questions motives behind delayed decision

Thierry Henry will be hoping Jamie Vardy’s time on England’s bench last night gave him time to think about his future - specifically a future in North London. 

Henry expressed concerns about the hesitation Vardy has shown since Arsenal triggered his £20M release clause. It had initially been thought the striker would make an announcement before the team headed to France for Euro 2016.  

But just days before the tournament kicked off, it became clear that no news from Vardy’s camp was coming until he was back on home soil. 

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, Henry said: “He’s 20. You have Arsenal coming for you and you’re telling them ‘I’m going to think about it’?” 

“Well, all I can say is you [Vardy] have another proposition on the table or Arsenal doesn’t seem attractive you anymore. He had an amazing season, don’t get me wrong. That will go down in the history of the game.” 

“But I have a question mark about whether he can play in the last bird when another team is sitting deep. I think he’s been brilliant, I’m just asking myself questions along the way. All I can say is, if I was playing for Leicester and I’m 29 and I have Arsenal coming, I would have gone, but I’m not Jamie Vardy.” 

Vardy, of course, netted 24 goals in the Premier League last season, at least 8 more than Arsenal player managed. In fact, no Arsenal player has managed 20+ goals in a single league campaign since Robin Van Persie scored 30 in the 2011/12 season. 

While weighing up his options for next season are no doubt important, Vardy will likely be focused on his England duties at the European Championship and whether he can negotiate a move off of the bench against Wales on Thursday.

For more stats on Jamie Vardy, click here to view his WhoScored player page