Leicester move for Deeney as Vardy weighs up future

London: Leicester City have launched a bid to sign Watford striker Troy Deeney as they weigh up a counter offer to Jamie Vardy in a desperate attempt to stop him joining Arsenal.

Arsenal are still very hopeful of completing a pounds 20 million (Dh105.9 million) deal for Vardy before England begin their Euro 2016 campaign against Russia on Saturday.

But Vardy has been agonising over whether to move to the Emirates just a month after winning the Premier League title with Leicester.

Leicester must now decide whether to match Arsenal’s contract offer, which is in excess of pounds 100,000 a week, and weigh up the impact of losing Vardy against the possibility of disrupting the dressing room if they keep him on significantly higher wages than the rest of the squad. Regardless of Vardy’s future, champions Leicester want to sign pounds 15 million-rated Deeney, who scored 13 Premier League goals last season. The 27-year-old is settled at Vicarage Road, but the lure of Champions League football with Leicester may be difficult to turn down.

Arsenal have formally triggered the release clause in Vardy’s contract and personal terms on a potential four-year deal are understood to have been provisionally agreed, leaving the decision now with the 29-year-old.

Having broken into professional football only in 2012 after nine years in non-League, the clear expectation is that Vardy will take what could realistically be his last chance of a move to one of the established Champions League elite of Europe.

Leicester, though, appear likely to make one last offer of an enhanced contract after rewarding him in February with a new deal until 2019 worth around pounds 80,000 a week. Completing a move while at the England camp in France would not be an issue for Arsenal and Vardy, as long as negotiations do not drag on into the tournament.

The arrival of Vardy would threaten the place of Olivier Giroud as Arsenal’s main central striker but he has welcomed news of manager Arsene Wenger’s attempt to conclude a second major signing this summer following the pounds 30-million arrival of Granit Xhaka. “I have been told that Jamie wants to join us and it’s very good news for us,” said Giroud. “He’s a fantastic player.”

Asked if Vardy’s arrival would mean a change in formation from Wenger’s usual 4-2-3-1 system, Giroud joked: “Obviously 4-4-2. As I said in the past I am happy with competition. I want the best for this club. Hopefully he is going to help us win this title. The boss wanted to sign at least one or two strikers, so I expected a top striker and hopefully he is going to score a lot of goals like he did at Leicester.” Vardy’s arrival would certainly give Wenger a very different attacking option to Giroud, who is adept holding the ball up with his back to goal, whereas Vardy’s pace makes him most effective when he is running behind defences. Arsenal also still want to sign a centre-back this summer and at least one sale is likely amid uncertainty over the futures of Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott. Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are also all due for contract talks.