Replacing Arsenal-bound Vardy a huge task - but the Leicester fairytale is not over yet

goal.com

The England international looks set to complete a move to the Emirates Stadium, but the Premier League champions have shown that they have what it takes to overcome adversity.

Despite the inevitability surrounding it, the news that Jamie Vardy was discussing a move away from Leicester City still brought with it a sense of disbelief. 

Though much of that initial shock came largely from those who were surprised that Arsene Wenger was willing to spend £20 million on a 29-year-old striker, thoughts quickly turned to the potential fate of the Premier League champions.

The footballing world fell head over heels in love with the Foxes as they marched towards a first English title in their history during the first half of 2016, with top scorer Vardy unsurprisingly the poster boy. All eyes were on his house the night Tottenham’s draw with Chelsea handed the silverware to Claudio Ranieri’s men, with the party that ensued one of those everlasting images that will be used in Premier League montages for decades to come.

But as news broke on social media that the England international had his heart set on a move to the Emirates Stadium, there was an overwhelming feeling that the bubble had burst. 

Just as the city-wide celebrations that engulfed Leicester were finally beginning to die down and thoughts were turning towards the Champions League next season, the wind has been taken out of supporters’s sails with the revelation of Vardy’s impending departure. But this does not need to be the end of the fairytale – not just yet, anyway.

Taking 24 goals out of any side will obviously leave a large void, while Vardy’s work-rate is hugely important to how the Foxes are able to pressurise opponents high up the field and implement their counterattacking style. 

But Ranieri has already shown he is able to adapt a squad and change his tactics to suit certain situations. ‘The Tinkerman’ did not need to alter much during his first season back in the English top-flight, but replacing the former Fleetwood Town striker will put all his managerial nous to the test.

Ahmed Musa looks the likeliest replacement, with the Nigeria international claiming earlier in the year that his current club, CSKA Moscow, had rejected a January bid from the Foxes reported to be in the region of £23 million. CSKA boss, Leonid Slutskiy, has since confirmed that a further offer has been made for the forward since the end of the season. 

Blessed with pace to match that of Vardy and having scored 18 goals in all competitions last term, Musa is a player with the raw potential to eventually replicate the scoring feats of his predecessor.

But while a deal for Musa or another striker is agreed upon, Leicester must weigh up the options within their squad that could prove their worth in pre-season. They showed in the final weeks of 2015-16 that they can cope without Vardy as they comprehensively beat Swansea City and took a point away from Old Trafford while their talisman watched on from the stands.

Leonardo Ulloa represents the polar opposite of Vardy in terms of what he can offer as a striker, but Leicester have shown they can adapt their way of playing to suit the Argentine.

Whether that can be replicated over a longer period remains to be seen, but there is a resilience within a squad that does not know when it is beaten. Their remarkable run to survive relegation in 2014-15 is testament to that. Their run of 1-0 wins that immediately followed that heart-breaking defeat by Arsenal only served as a further illustration of their determination to beat the odds. Vardy leaving will likely only serve as another reason to spur them on to defy public opinion once again.

If the likes of Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante were to follow Vardy out of the door, their chances of again challenging for honours would diminish. Even the much-heralded Steve Walsh might struggle to unearth gems of a similar standard for a second time in just three years.

But if Leicester have taught the footballing public anything it is that they cannot be written off. Doing so off the back of Vardy joining Arsenal has the potential to prove foolhardy once again.