Leicester and Vardy send Arsenal a message: We are the champions - and we're not done yet!

When it emerged that Leicester City were set to secure a place in the Champions League and go onto win the Premier League title, one question asked more than most was whether the success could be repeated. Claudio Ranieri had conjured a fairytale out of what seemed a limited squad, but with richer and more illustrious clubs circling, it seemed a matter of time before that group of players was ripped apart.

Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante continue to be linked with moves away from the King Power Stadium, but it was top goalscorer Jamie Vardy who looked set to be the first out of the door after his release clause was met by Arsenal. Losing their star striker for just £20 million was seen by many as just the start of an inevitable decline back into obscurity for the Foxes.
But if this club has shown anything in the last few months, it is resilience. Their style on the pitch altered from haphazard counter-attacking to controlled defensive steel as they steamrolled over the Premier League finishing line, and that philosophy has been mirrored in their determination to keep hold of Vardy. As a club, there is a feeling that this is just the start of something special rather than the culmination of a dream.


Obviously a number of factors come into play when a player is given the option to leave his current club or stay on, and it would be wrong to label Vardy as someone who is solely driven by finances. But for Leicester and chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha to be able to offer the England international a contract that would lead him to reject a more established and well supported club sends a huge message out to the rest of the Premier League.
Leicester’s story is certainly not one of the paupers beating the princes – Srivaddhanaprabha has invested a huge amount in the club since purchasing the club in 2010 and their finances are not at the low level that some would make out when regaling the tales of their title triumph. But for them to go toe-to-toe with Arsenal regarding the future of a player and win is a remarkable achievement and suggests that the 2015-16 season was not a one-off in terms of Leicester’s success. They are a club that are not willing to fall away after their moment in the sun.
Whether Vardy’s show of loyalty is enough to convince the likes of Mahrez and Kante to reject the overtures of some of Europe’s biggest clubs will likely determine how Leicester actually perform next season, but for now their chances of challenging the footballing establishment once again look a whole lot brighter.

Faced with the option of leaving, Vardy has opted to remain, and his willingness to stay part of the Leicester story going forward suggests they too will remain a force to be reckoned with.