An EFL club have publicly confirmed their interest in signing Jamie Vardy as the veteran striker considers his next move.
Sheffield Wednesday chairman David Storch has revealed the Owls would be delighted to bring the 39-year-old back to Hillsborough decades after he was released by their academy.
Vardy is available on a free transfer after leaving Italian side Cremonese at the end of last season and has already been linked with several potential destinations.
But a move to Wednesday would carry particular emotional significance given his long-standing connection with the League One club.
Vardy supported the Owls growing up and spent time in their academy before being released as a teenager.
He subsequently rebuilt his career in non-League football, representing Stocksbridge Park Steels and FC Halifax Town before joining Fleetwood Town.
His performances there earned him a move to Leicester City in 2012 and provided the platform for one of English football’s most remarkable careers.
Vardy went on to become a Premier League champion and FA Cup winner with Leicester while also representing England on 26 occasions.
An EFL club have publicly confirmed their interest in signing Jamie Vardy as the veteran striker considers his next move
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Wednesday have now made it clear they would be interested in completing a stunning homecoming if a deal can be made financially viable.
“At some point, I’ll be able to tell a story. This might not be the right time. But yeah, Jamie is somebody we would like to have in our club,” Storch told talkSPORT.
“Let’s just say he’d be someone we’d be thrilled to have on the club, and unfortunately we do have these restrictions.
“We’re trying to figure out how to get around the restrictions to put something in front of Jamie that would make sense for him.”
Five things to know about Jamie Vardy | PA/GB NEWS
Any potential agreement would seemingly require Vardy to accept a significant financial compromise, with Wednesday operating under restrictions that complicate their pursuit.
There is another sizeable obstacle, too, given Vardy has previously played down the prospect of returning to his boyhood club.
Asked about a possible Wednesday move in June, he said: “In short, no. It’s one of them things, I’ve always said that once I was let go then that chapter was kind of…shut.
“That’s just me, that’s how I am. It wasn’t meant to be so it’s never meant to be, kind of thing.”
Jamie Vardy has also been linked with a move to West Ham
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West Ham have also been linked with the former England striker and would potentially be capable of offering more lucrative terms should they formalise their interest.
Wednesday, however, can offer Vardy something altogether different.
A move to Hillsborough would bring his extraordinary career full circle and allow him to represent the club he supported as a youngster.
Whether that emotional pull is enough to change Vardy’s previous stance remains to be seen.
