Why Vardy will stay at Leicester and Maddison could start season in Championship

Jamie Vardy is expected to stay at Leicester City next season — and he may not be the only high-profile member of the current squad involved when they kick off the campaign at home to Coventry City on Sunday, August 6.

Vardy is entering the last year of his contract and was left devastated by his side’s relegation after nine straight years of Premier League football. He was meant to end his illustrious club career in that division, where he holds the record for scoring in 11 consecutive games. He’s also a member of its 100 Club, having scored 136 Premier League goals in 307 appearances.

There were questions about whether, at the age of 36, he would have the appetite and desire for a gruelling 46-game season back in the Championship. But leading Leicester back to the elite could be a fitting finale. It could be Vardy’s last dance — although he has given no indication he is close to retiring.

There was also uncertainty over who would come in as the new manager, and whether whoever got the job would use Vardy prominently. The striker only started half of Leicester’s 38 Premier League games last season under Brendan Rodgers and then Dean Smith.

However, the arrival of Italian Enzo Maresca from Manchester City’s treble-winning staff could reignite his career. In an interview with The Telegraph, Maresca confirmed he wants Vardy to stay. There are still over two months to go until the transfer window closes on September 1 but Vardy has given no signal he wants to move elsewhere.

Vardy and the rest of the players are due to begin pre-season training on July 3, and that group could include James Maddison and Harvey Barnes; two players tipped to move on for big money in the wake of Leicester’s relegation.

Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Maddison but a deal with either club is still a long way off.

Leicester will not sell for a cut-price fee and Spurs are reluctant to get close to the asking price of £60million ($76.6m). This valuation comes despite the fact Maddison is entering the last year of his contract. Tottenham have admired Maddison for some time but are yet to make a concrete move. In contrast, Newcastle have previously tabled two offers for Maddison, but both were rejected as they were way below their valuation.

As reported by The Athletic on Wednesday, Newcastle are close to agreeing a deal for AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali. And while they would love to take Maddison if the price was right and personal terms agreeable, Newcastle are not prioritising a player in his position.

Despite the pressure to offload players following relegation, Leicester could be difficult for Newcastle to deal with. There is room in Eddie Howe’s budget at St James’ Park for two big new signings as, even with the resources of their Saudi Arabian ownership and the impending revenue from Champions League qualification, they have similar concerns over financial fair play (FFP) to the ones that forced Leicester to pump the brakes on their investment. There is plenty of money there, but there are restrictions on how much they can spend.

There is also the question of Allan Saint-Maximin and whether Newcastle would prefer to sell the winger and bring in Maddison instead. It could be that Saint-Maximin has to make way for the England midfielder.

Maddison, who has been given additional time off after featuring in England’s latest two European Championship qualifiers over the past week, is still expected to leave before the end of the transfer window. But there is the real prospect he could be involved in Maresca’s first few games in charge (Leicester will have played four league matches by deadline day) before he goes.

Similarly, there are several interested parties in Barnes, but nothing is close to being completed there either.

Although it would be beneficial for all concerned to have the futures of Maddison and Barnes resolved quickly, the reality is that suitors may not show their hands until later in the window, when they would hope to be able to get a cheaper deal than the prices currently being asked.

Other players are also expected to leave Leicester this summer. But having lost six first-team players due to their contracts expiring, the club don’t want to completely dismantle the squad in the hope of a quick return. Conversely, they can’t carry reluctant passengers in what they intend to be their promotion push.

The team certainly requires new blood. But, with June being notoriously quiet in the transfer market with players away on holiday and still assessing their options, it is the youngsters of the academy that could form the core of Maresca’s initial squad.

With his background in coaching Manchester City’s under-23s, Maresca likes to work with younger players he can mould and develop. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Luke Thomas and Hamza Choudhury will all be looking to benefit from his coaching and there will also be an opportunity for centre-back Ben Nelson, who has returned from last season’s lower-divisions loans at Rochdale and Doncaster Rovers. Maresca loves his players to be versatile, and the 19-year-old Nelson is a ball-playing defender adept at stepping into midfield.

While assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Maresca worked with John Stones, who took his versatility to a new level when becoming a holding midfielder last season.

Maresca will be looking for the same flexibility in his Leicester squad.

(Top photos: Getty Images)