Jamie Vardy is reportedly ‘in negotiations’ with newly-promoted Serie A side Cremonese over a potential Italian switch.
The 38-year-old veteran forward has been on the search for a new club all summer after leaving Leicester City at the end of his contract last season.
It was thought that Vardy, like many other stars in the twilight of their careers, could have been set for a move to the MLS, but the Englishman has been the subject of interest from across Europe.
While Celtic, Rangers and Everton were all thought to have been keen on the experienced attacker, Vardy emerged as a concrete, and perhaps surprising, target for Napoli last week.
The Serie A champions have been on the hunt for a new No 9 following an injury suffered by Romelu Lukaku, with Vardy one of the names on Antonio Conte’s list.
But Napoli are now edging closer to the completion of a deal for Man United outcast Rasmus Hojlund, making a move for the former Leicester striker increasingly unlikely.
Vardy has however been contacted by another Italian outfit, Cremonese, who earned promotion to the Serie A last season.
The northern Italian side are ‘dreaming’ of securing Vardy’s signature, according to Sky in Italy, and are thought to have begun initial talks with his representatives.
Having begun their Serie A campaign in emphatic style with a 2-1 victory over Luka Modric’s AC Milan at the San Siro, Cremonese boss Davide Nicola is seemingly keen to bolster his ranks.
It remains to be seen however whether Vardy, who scored 200 goals in 500 appearances for the Foxes, will choose to holdout for a move to a bigger club.
If he chooses Italy, Vardy would follow in the footsteps of a number of British stars who have flourished in Serie A including Fikayo Tomori, Billy Gilmour and, most notably, Scott McTominay.
The former United midfielder was sold to Napoli after falling out of favour at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag – and he’s never looked back.
The Scotsman’s 12 goals and six assists as Napoli surged to the top of Serie A last season saw him become idolised in southern Italy, and even earnt him a nomination for this year’s Ballon D’or.
A move to Italy could too be a glamorous one for Vardy and his wife Rebekah, and a chance to escape the glare that abounds in the Premier League or even remaining in Britain in general – particularly after Rebekah lost her High Court libel battle with Coleen Rooney.
McTominay has indeed raved about life in Naples, saying: ‘The pride of playing here is really special and when I found out that Napoli was interested in me I felt the fire inside me.
‘I wanted to come here and push as much as possible because the fans are crazy, I would say they are some of the best fans I have ever seen. Incredible.
‘I can’t talk enough about the fans, the people, the city and the welcome that my teammates and coaches gave me.’
He also told BBC Scotland: ‘It was a big decision, but in some ways it was quite straightforward.
‘I saw the passionate fans, I saw the coach, I saw the players and I saw an opportunity.
‘I took it. I didn’t look back. It didn’t take me long to make the decision because I knew that was what I wanted and I’ll never have any regrets in my life.
‘I love this place. I love the fans, I love my team-mates.’
