Who should replace Jamie Vardy at Leicester City?
Who Should Replace Jamie Vardy at Leicester City?
Jamie Vardy is still proving to be a prolific Premier League striker, with 19 goals to his name this season. However, at the age of 33, he will not be able to sustain these elite numbers for much longer. Waiting in the wings Leicester currently have Kelechi Iheanacho and Ayoze Perez as their only back up strikers. As a result they could be in the market for a prolific, pacey striker during the next transfer window. I have identified 5 possible targets who might be able to fill Vardy's boots.
This of course comes at a time full of uncertainty in football and society in general. It is still unknown when football is going to return and in what format. The transfer window is something that is sure to be affected, as are most clubs financial situations, so this comes under the assumption that Premier League football and transfers are relatively unaffected once it is safe to return.
Leicester's current tactics
Leicester typically set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, as shown below. This system allows them to be deadly on the counter attack, as when they defend they can have most of their men compact and behind the ball, and then when they win it back, they can spring an attack using Vardy as a focal point.
A graph to show the league minutes played by each of my targets, showing the goals and assists registered in that time
Strengths&Stats
Osimhen is currently the 5th top goal scorer in Ligue 1 with 13 goals and he has also provided 4 assists. Lille are sat in 4th place, and having scored only 35 goals in their 28 games before the season was halted, Osimhen has contributed to 48.6% of Lille's goals. As shown in the above graph, he has played the most minutes out of the 6, scoring a goal every 176 minutes in the league. As a 21 year old, this is only going to improve and as Jamie Vardy declines, he would be a stellar replacement.
Much like Vardy, he enjoys getting in behind defences and can also finish in a crowded penalty area, with all of his 13 goals coming from within the penalty area, 2 of those inside the 6 yard box.
Weaknesses/Reservations
One side of his game that needs some training is his offside awareness. In his 27 league games this season, he has been caught offside 33 times, which is an average every 69.4 minutes. Vardy on the other hand, has only been caught offside 19 times in 26 appearances, which goes to show experience in getting in behind defenses. He has also committed 56 fouls (2.2 per 90) compared to Vardy's 16 (0.6 per 90). Whilst this can be useful to stop counter attacks, it again shows a lack of intelligence and quality when trying to win the ball back from the opposition.
A couple of factors to consider are his supposed price tag and the fact that other, possibly bigger, clubs are sniffing around. However, if the season is finished and Leicester claim Champions League football, they would be an appealing option with Lille only on the brink of qualifying. Lille have supposedly put at £92 million price tag on Osimhen and in the past couple of seasons, they have been happy to sell players on for big profit, Nicolas Pepe and Rafael Leao just two examples of that, so it may not be cheap to pry him away.
Strengths&Stats
With 16 goals and 2 assists to his name in the league this season, Dembele has been a crucial part of Lyon's struggling side. His 18 goal contributions have resulted in 42.9% of Lyon's league goals this season, with Dembele scoring every 137 minutes. xG measurements suggest that Dembele should only have scored 11.40 goals, so he is substantially overperforming which is a similar trait to Jamie Vardy. This shows that he is a very clinical finisher, who can score a lot of his chances even when they are not in the best position.
Weaknesses/Reservations
It is hard to find many weaknesses for Moussa Dembele. He has scored goals wherever he has played and looks like a safe signing for most big clubs. One thing he could improve is his pressing. Jamie Vardy presses the opposition defence a lot, and assuming that is a feature they would be looking for in a new striker, Dembele would need to improve that if he were to fit right in. If you put Dembele in to Leicesters system, it may allow him to press a more and improve that side of his game.
He joined Lyon for £20 million from Celtic in August 2018. Since then he has been linked with moves to Manchester United, Chelsea and Spurs. If Lyon do not finish in the Champions League this season, I would expect a big club to be in for Dembele in the next transfer window.
Strengths&Stats
Following his breakout campaign in the Eredivisie, Isak has been used mainly as a substitue at Real Sociedad. Despite this, he has still managed 7 goals. His xG is 7.01 so he has been scoring as you would expect which shows that he is a good finisher. One of his main strengths is his dribbling ability, he is very good at taking on a man and working space for a shot. This is not something you would associate with Jamie Vardy but it is a welcome attribute in any striker. He is also 6ft2 so is taller than Vardy as well. This also means that he is dangerous in the air and with the ball at his feet. He is no slouch for a 6ft2 striker so could become a very well rounded player and at only 20 years old, Isak is sure to keep improving.
Weaknesses/Reservations
Something to consider is the fact that he has only played 1 and a half seasons in top leagues. In the Eredivisie he stood out and has carried good form in to Spain, however, he may need to prove himself for a little longer and become a starting striker, to tempt a big club in to a move. Even if there are interested parties, Borussia Dortmund would likely exercise their buy back clause and the club would have to pay a higher fee.
Strengths
Much like Vardy, pace and finishing are two of his main assets. He loves to get in behind defences and can finish his chances very well. Malen really impressed against Vitesse, early in the 2019-20 season, scoring all 5 goals in a 5-0 victory for his side, although 2 of those goals were penalties. The 2018-19 season was really Malen's break in to the first team. He became a regular starter, scoring
10 goals in 31 appearances. In the previous season he only made 4 appearances so that was a strong start to his senior career.
Weaknesses/Reservations
Due to their age, similaries can be drawn between Malen and Isak .Malen has also only had a short time as a first team striker, and is scoring goals in the Eredivisie. Players signed from the Dutch league can often be talents, but it may be safe to let him develop some more and see if he can sustain his hot run of form. One other thing to note is that he suffered a knee injury on the 21st of December 2019, which resulted in him requiring surgery. The surgery was a success, however it is still unknown wether he will regain his previous form when the football restarts. It was reported that he may miss Euro 2020 which was meant to be happening this summer, so it was a rather serious injury.
Strengths
Edouard has been the standout player in the SPL this past season, and it has been suggested that he is going to follow a similar path to Moussa Dembele and make a move away from Celtic Park in the near future. He has very quick feet and is strong when holding a man off the ball so his hold up play is impressive. His goals and assists stats show exactly how well he has been playing, and if he can continue his fine form in to a bigger league, then he is sure to be a top striker.
Celtic are often used as a stepping stone club and are not adverse to letting their top players leave. So it would not be a suprise if Edouard was able to depart from Celtic Park for a reasonable fee. Their may be some competition for his signature, but some bigger clubs may not be willing to take the risk on a Scottish League striker. It could be a risk that Leicester may be willing to take, with Brendan Rodgers having worked with the player during his time at Celtic Park.
Weaknesses/Reservations
The main reservation about Edouard is that he has only done it in the Scottish League. Of course some players can be big hits when coming out of the SPL, however some can also be flops and it is unlikely the Edouard would carry his form on. Leicester may feel that it is a risk targeting someone out of the SPL and could prefer other, more proven targets.
Vardy typically picks up a position on the shoulder of the last man, aiming to get in behind the defence and use his pace to get a chance to score. Below are two examples of Vardy on the last man, looking for a ball to be played in behind.
Jamie Vardy against Bournemouth. He has found space and is looking to get in behind and recieve a ball from James Maddison.
Vardy against Manchester City. In between the 2 City centre backs, looking to run in behind Fernandinho and recieve a ball from Harvey Barnes. Vardy went on to score this chance after outpacing Fernandinho and chipping the ball over Ederson.
The 5 players I have identified all have similar characteristics to Jamie Vardy. Pace is one of the main assets of Vardy's game, so would be very important in any possible replacements, assuming Leicester want a direct replacement. They also have to be great finishers. Jamie Vardy has scored 19 goals this season, 18 of them from inside the penalty area, with 4 of them coming from the penalty spot. Expected Goals (xG) suggests that Vardy should have scored 14.24 goals, so he is hugely overperforming. This goes to show the quality of his finishing and that he can score even when he is not expected to. All 5 players are also 23 or under so they can be a long term replacement for Leicester City and have time to improve while Vardy plays out his last couple of seasons.
Target #1 - Victor Osimhen - Lille, Age 21
Osimhen is currently playing his football for Lille in France's Ligue 1. He joined the club for £10.80 million from Charleroi in August 2019. Since the move, he has been impressing many around Europe with his pace, eye for goal and pressing ability. As a result, rumours have linked him with moves to Liverpool and Manchester United.Strengths&Stats
Osimhen is currently the 5th top goal scorer in Ligue 1 with 13 goals and he has also provided 4 assists. Lille are sat in 4th place, and having scored only 35 goals in their 28 games before the season was halted, Osimhen has contributed to 48.6% of Lille's goals. As shown in the above graph, he has played the most minutes out of the 6, scoring a goal every 176 minutes in the league. As a 21 year old, this is only going to improve and as Jamie Vardy declines, he would be a stellar replacement.
Much like Vardy, he enjoys getting in behind defences and can also finish in a crowded penalty area, with all of his 13 goals coming from within the penalty area, 2 of those inside the 6 yard box.
Weaknesses/Reservations
One side of his game that needs some training is his offside awareness. In his 27 league games this season, he has been caught offside 33 times, which is an average every 69.4 minutes. Vardy on the other hand, has only been caught offside 19 times in 26 appearances, which goes to show experience in getting in behind defenses. He has also committed 56 fouls (2.2 per 90) compared to Vardy's 16 (0.6 per 90). Whilst this can be useful to stop counter attacks, it again shows a lack of intelligence and quality when trying to win the ball back from the opposition.
A couple of factors to consider are his supposed price tag and the fact that other, possibly bigger, clubs are sniffing around. However, if the season is finished and Leicester claim Champions League football, they would be an appealing option with Lille only on the brink of qualifying. Lille have supposedly put at £92 million price tag on Osimhen and in the past couple of seasons, they have been happy to sell players on for big profit, Nicolas Pepe and Rafael Leao just two examples of that, so it may not be cheap to pry him away.
Target #2 - Moussa Dembele - Lyon, Age 23
Also currently playing in Ligue 1, is Moussa Dembele. He has impressed so far this season, with 16 goals to his name, 3 more than Osimhen in the same division. He has also managed this in less minutes. Lyon currently sit in 7th place, 9 points behind Osimhen's Lille. In the absence of Memphis Depay with a long term injury and Nabil Fekir leaving to Real Betis, Dembele has had to step up and provide the majority of Lyon's goals. Dembele has previously played under Brendan Rodgers during their time at Celtic, where the French striker was also a prolific goalscorer. Ever since his move to Lyon he has been linked to a move away and with them sat in 7th, Champions League qualification seems unlikely, so he may be thinking of a move in the next window.Strengths&Stats
With 16 goals and 2 assists to his name in the league this season, Dembele has been a crucial part of Lyon's struggling side. His 18 goal contributions have resulted in 42.9% of Lyon's league goals this season, with Dembele scoring every 137 minutes. xG measurements suggest that Dembele should only have scored 11.40 goals, so he is substantially overperforming which is a similar trait to Jamie Vardy. This shows that he is a very clinical finisher, who can score a lot of his chances even when they are not in the best position.
Weaknesses/Reservations
It is hard to find many weaknesses for Moussa Dembele. He has scored goals wherever he has played and looks like a safe signing for most big clubs. One thing he could improve is his pressing. Jamie Vardy presses the opposition defence a lot, and assuming that is a feature they would be looking for in a new striker, Dembele would need to improve that if he were to fit right in. If you put Dembele in to Leicesters system, it may allow him to press a more and improve that side of his game.
He joined Lyon for £20 million from Celtic in August 2018. Since then he has been linked with moves to Manchester United, Chelsea and Spurs. If Lyon do not finish in the Champions League this season, I would expect a big club to be in for Dembele in the next transfer window.
Target #3 - Alexander Isak - Real Sociedad, 20
Born in 1999, Isak is the youngest player on this list and he has also played the least minutes. However, his record during those minutes has been fantastic. He has made 9 starts and 18 substitute appearance, totalling 1055 minutes. In that time he has scored 7 goals which averages to a goal every 151 minutes. He signed for Borussia Dortmund as a 17 year old in a £7.74 million deal, meaning he has had a lot of pressure from a young age. He was loaned out to Willem II in the Eredivisie during the 2018-19 season where he scored 13 and assist 7 in 16 games which is a great record. In July 2019, Sociedad came in for Isak, setting them back £5.85 million, meaning Dortmund made a loss on the youngster. However, they do have a 30 million Euro buy back clause, meaning any possible move to Leicester, would need to go through them.Strengths&Stats
Following his breakout campaign in the Eredivisie, Isak has been used mainly as a substitue at Real Sociedad. Despite this, he has still managed 7 goals. His xG is 7.01 so he has been scoring as you would expect which shows that he is a good finisher. One of his main strengths is his dribbling ability, he is very good at taking on a man and working space for a shot. This is not something you would associate with Jamie Vardy but it is a welcome attribute in any striker. He is also 6ft2 so is taller than Vardy as well. This also means that he is dangerous in the air and with the ball at his feet. He is no slouch for a 6ft2 striker so could become a very well rounded player and at only 20 years old, Isak is sure to keep improving.
Weaknesses/Reservations
Something to consider is the fact that he has only played 1 and a half seasons in top leagues. In the Eredivisie he stood out and has carried good form in to Spain, however, he may need to prove himself for a little longer and become a starting striker, to tempt a big club in to a move. Even if there are interested parties, Borussia Dortmund would likely exercise their buy back clause and the club would have to pay a higher fee.
Target #4 - Donyell Malen - PSV Eindhoven, 21
The former Arsenal youngster has been impressing in the Eredivisie during the 2019-20 season, scoring 11 and assisting 2 in 1,191 minutes. That means he has been hitting the net every 108 minutes, which is a stellar record for a 21 year old.Strengths
Much like Vardy, pace and finishing are two of his main assets. He loves to get in behind defences and can finish his chances very well. Malen really impressed against Vitesse, early in the 2019-20 season, scoring all 5 goals in a 5-0 victory for his side, although 2 of those goals were penalties. The 2018-19 season was really Malen's break in to the first team. He became a regular starter, scoring
10 goals in 31 appearances. In the previous season he only made 4 appearances so that was a strong start to his senior career.
Weaknesses/Reservations
Due to their age, similaries can be drawn between Malen and Isak .Malen has also only had a short time as a first team striker, and is scoring goals in the Eredivisie. Players signed from the Dutch league can often be talents, but it may be safe to let him develop some more and see if he can sustain his hot run of form. One other thing to note is that he suffered a knee injury on the 21st of December 2019, which resulted in him requiring surgery. The surgery was a success, however it is still unknown wether he will regain his previous form when the football restarts. It was reported that he may miss Euro 2020 which was meant to be happening this summer, so it was a rather serious injury.
Target #5 - Odsonne Edouard - Celtic, 22
As you can see in the above chart, Edouard has scored the most goals out of the 5. He has been on fire in the SPFL this season, with 22 goals in 2110 minutes. This means that he has been scoring every 95 minutes and has also contributed 7 assists for his teammates. Edouard joined Celtic on loan from PSG in 2017 and signed permantantly for £9 million a year later. In all 3 seasons he has been a regular scorer, each one scoring more than the last.Strengths
Edouard has been the standout player in the SPL this past season, and it has been suggested that he is going to follow a similar path to Moussa Dembele and make a move away from Celtic Park in the near future. He has very quick feet and is strong when holding a man off the ball so his hold up play is impressive. His goals and assists stats show exactly how well he has been playing, and if he can continue his fine form in to a bigger league, then he is sure to be a top striker.
Celtic are often used as a stepping stone club and are not adverse to letting their top players leave. So it would not be a suprise if Edouard was able to depart from Celtic Park for a reasonable fee. Their may be some competition for his signature, but some bigger clubs may not be willing to take the risk on a Scottish League striker. It could be a risk that Leicester may be willing to take, with Brendan Rodgers having worked with the player during his time at Celtic Park.
Weaknesses/Reservations
The main reservation about Edouard is that he has only done it in the Scottish League. Of course some players can be big hits when coming out of the SPL, however some can also be flops and it is unlikely the Edouard would carry his form on. Leicester may feel that it is a risk targeting someone out of the SPL and could prefer other, more proven targets.
Assuming that Football is back up and running in the near future, Leicester may be searching for Vardy's successor. All of these young players have been impressing around Europe and Leicester may target them as their future number 9. Edouard may be the prime candidate due to his relationship with Rodgers, the current Leicester and former Celtic boss. They may be priced out of moves for Osimhen and Dembele as they have been linked with other big clubs, for large fees. Isak and Malen have been impressing, but may need a bit more time to fully prove themselves.
Comments
Post a Comment