The Blues, Birmingham and West Ham are reported to be amongst the leading contenders to sign Fleetwood Town striker Jamie Vardy. The Cod Army are claimed to have turned down a £1 million offer for the 24-year-old, who has previously been mentioned in connection with Celtic and Huddersfield.
Sheffield-born Vardy, who has scored 15 goals in the Blue Square Bet Premier this season, first made an impression with local Evo-Stik League Premier Division side Stocksbridge Park Steels having been released by Sheffield Wednesday as a teenager. He won a trial with Crewe and other Football League clubs before turning down a short-term deal with Rotherham.
The 5ft 10in tall frontman or winger joined FC Halifax Town in June 2010, scoring 24 league goals and winning the club’s Players’ Player of the Year as the Shaymen carried off the Evo-Stik League Premier Division title last season.
Vardy moved on to Fleetwood for an undisclosed fee believed to be £175,000 in August and has continued to score goals at a similar rate, winning the Blue Square Bet Premier Player of the Month for November and netting twice in today’s 6-0 victory at Southport.
Elsewhere, former Blues loanee Andros Townsend has joined Leeds on a similar basis from Tottenham for the rest of the season.
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