‘Celtic backed to hijack Rangers’ move for Jamie Vardy’
Celtic have been urged to complete a swoop for free agent striker Jamie Vardy, despite recent links to Rangers.
Vardy is without a club after leaving Leicester City at the end of his contract, having registered 200 goals in 500 appearances to lead the Foxes to Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield and Championship titles.
Rangers are one club who have been heavily linked with the 38-year-old striker, alongside whispers of a much more fanciful move to Manchester United, as well as Championship side Birmingham City.
New Gers boss Russell Martin currently has last season’s Scottish Premiership top scorer, Cyriel Dessers, at his disposal, as well as Hamza Igamane and Danilo — though the latter managed just five league goals last season, while Igamane has been linked with an Ibrox departure.
Celtic backed to make Vardy swoop
Celtic have won 13 of the last 14 Scottish titles, including the last four, and now sit level on 55 all-time with Rangers — needing just one more to go ahead of their rivals for the first time since the 1920s.
Daizen Maeda was the top scorer for the Hoops last season with 16 league goals, but Brendan Rodgers is admittedly a little light on quality No.9 options.
Former Scotland and Manchester City striker Paul Dickov has urged Celtic to make an ambitious swoop for Vardy — who worked with Rodgers at Leicester — to become ‘borderline impossible’ to catch in the title race.
“Jamie Vardy at 38, has still got a hell of a lot to offer. He’s still got the hunger, and real desire in his game,” said Dickov (Daily Record, 22 July).
“I’m sure he has plenty of offers from clubs all over the world, but wherever he chooses will gain a Premier League legend and a wealth of experience.
“Aside from his experience, his goal-scoring hasn’t slowed down. He scored nine goals last season in a poor Leicester team in the most challenging league in the world, so he will score plenty wherever he moves.
“It’s difficult to pinpoint where Jamie is going to land, but it could be a real swing in the next couple of seasons of the Scottish Premiership.
“If he went to Celtic, it would make it even more difficult for the rest of the teams to catch them. I would go as far as to say borderline impossible.
“However, if he chose Rangers, he could really drag them closer to Celtic with the goals he would score.
“If he signs for Rangers, Scotland would have a really competitive league next season, which would be great to watch and draw eyes to the games.
“That’s how big a factor he could be, and people keep talking about his age, but he is chasing down defenders as well as he was ten years ago, from what I can see.
“Whoever signs Vardy will have a fantastic asset who will guarantee goals and energy from the front.”
Dominic Calvert-Lewin touted as Vardy alternative for Rangers
Vardy isn’t the only experienced striker on the free agent market.
There will be plenty of potential suitors for Dominic Calvert-Lewin after he departed Everton, with an impressive CV that includes four goals in 11 England caps and 57 strikes in the Premier League.
Calvert-Lewin has been linked with Newcastle United most recently as they seek depth for Alexander Isak.
However, former Everton and Aston Villa chief Keith Wyness has championed Calvert-Lewin as a possible No.9 target for Rangers.
He told Football Insider: “What is missing is the Jamie Vardy-type fairy dust, the striker up front. There have been a couple of players who could do really well for them up front.
“I thought even Dominic Calvert-Lewin could have come to Rangers and reinvented himself and been a superhero up there. That’s what I’m worried about is the goals up front now.”
Rangers have also been linked with PSV legend Luuk de Jong, whose contract in Eindhoven recently expired.