In what has been one of the summer's oddest transfer stories - it seems the ongoing Jamie Vardy-to-Arsenal saga is finally over.
Speaking on Chinese television today in a fantastically bananas interview Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said:
"From what I know - he will stay at Leicester."
ارسين فينغر يؤكد في مقابلة مع قناة [ Tencent Sports ] الصينية ، بأن جيمي فاردي سيبقى مع ليستر سيتي. pic.twitter.com/kyTEACYDPt
— Gooners Arabia (@GoonersArabia) June 19, 2016
This seems to be confirmed by David Ornstein - the respected BBC journalist who has been to the forefront in terms of breaking the story of Arsenal's interest in the striker who scored England's opener against Wales on Thursday.
Arsenal did trigger Vardy's £20 million release clause and offered an increase in his wages from £80,000 to £120,000 but it looks like the Leicester City man has decided to stay put.
Instead, Wenger is rumoured to be focusing his attention on Sofiane Boufa - a far more Wenger-esque signing than a 29-year-old with one good season behind him. Moroccan internation Boufa, 22, scored 11 goals in Ligue 1 for Lille last season and is also being chased by Barcelona.
“We did have a meeting with the leadership of FC Barcelona in the last few weeks. There is an interest,” Boufa's agent Yvan Le Mée said to French outlet Le10 sport. “Now the reflection is whether Sofiane Boufal will go to Barcelona to compete with MSN (Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar) or should he go to a club where he is going to start matches and express his exceptional talent.
