How Jamie Vardy U-turned on Arsenal transfer in front of Arsene Wenger, revealed by ‘transfer fixer’ Dick Law

Former Arsenal negotiator knew Vardy would not be leaving Leicester for the Emirates Stadium as soon as he left talks in 2016 without putting pen to paper

Former Arsenal transfer negotiator Dick Law has lifted the lid on Jamie Vardy’s failed move from Leicester City four years ago by revealing the deal with both player and club was done, only for the England striker to perform a U-turn in front of Arsene Wenger.

Vardy has fired Leicester to the 2015/16 Premier League title to seal English football’s biggest upset in history, which caught the eye of an Arsenal side that was doing all it could to address a long-term decline and slide down the table.

The Gunners therefore moved for Vardy in the summer transfer window, with the then-29-year-old on the verge of leaving the King Power Stadium.

But the move collapsed and Vardy remains a Leicester player to this very day, with the club back on course for a Champions League return after solidifying their third-place position in the Premier League table before the coronavirus-enforced lockdown and hiatus of English football.

At the time of the move failing to materialise, Vardy claimed that he never held official talks with the north London club - a claim strongly disputed by those at Arsenal - and in an effort to dispel that viewpoint, former ‘transfer fixer’ Law has explained the circumstances behind the U-turn and revealed just how close Vardy came to becoming a Gunner.

“The deal with Leicester was done, the deal with the player was done,” Law told The Athletic when recalling the players the club came close to signing during his nine-year spell in the role at the Emirates Stadium.

“He came down to visit with his wife Rebekah, he sat on the couch in front of Arsene… and then he backed off.”

“On his way back to Leicester I get a call from the player saying he wants to think about it overnight. At that point, you know it's bad news.”

Law explained that history suggested the move was as good as dead when Vardy left Arsenal’s London Colney base without putting pen to paper, and he went on to explain similar circumstances with the likes of Juan Mata and Carlos Tevez that echoes the numerous players that Wenger himself has spoken of coming close to signing over his two decades as Arsenal manager.

While Arsenal may claim to have come out of the failed negotiations better given they have not finished below Leicester since, it’s worth taking into account that Vardy looks set to return to the Champions League first with Arsenal once again on course to miss out on the elite European competition, having not qualified for the last three seasons.