Sheffield Wednesday's new owner David Storch went on talkSPORT and essentially begged Jamie Vardy to come home. "He'd be somebody that we would be thrilled to have," Storch said. That's not a negotiating tactic — that's a club president publicly daydreaming. And honestly, who can blame him?
Vardy is 39, freshly released from Cremonese after scoring seven Serie A goals, and very much still playing. He's got offers on the table and, by all accounts, no urgency to sign anything. The leverage is his.
The five options, ranked by intrigue
The headline-grabber this week was Sao Paulo. One of the biggest clubs in South America reportedly reached out to gauge interest after six straight winless games. Vardy would play alongside Lucas Moura and Cedric Soares — both Premier League veterans themselves. It's an eyebrow-raising move, but Sao Paulo are under pressure and Vardy's name still carries commercial weight far beyond his goal tally.
MLS is quieter but arguably more realistic. Sky Sports report at least one American club is interested, and Vardy already has skin in the game stateside — he co-owns Rochester New York FC. No language barrier, familiar culture, and the pace of MLS suits a forward who relies on movement and finishing rather than carrying the ball. If his family prefers stability, this is the obvious call.
West Ham need a striker who knows how to win a Championship. Vardy scored 18 goals as Leicester tore through the division in 2024. Nuno Espirito Santo's side are chasing an immediate return to the Premier League, and Vardy's experience in exactly that situation is hard to put a price on. Their promotion odds would get considerably shorter with him leading the line.
The homecoming that would write itself
Sheffield Wednesday is the emotional pick. Vardy grew up supporting the Owls, came through their academy, and Hillsborough is about as close to home as it gets. Storch admitted the club is working around financial restrictions to make an offer viable. Whether they can actually get there is another matter entirely.
Rangers are the wildcard. No concrete interest has emerged this summer, but Youssef Chermiti just ruptured his ACL — effectively ending his season — and Derek McInnes is under board pressure to act before the deadline. A free agent striker with a proven nose for goal is exactly what Ibrox needs right now. Don't dismiss this one.
- Sao Paulo — High-profile, high-risk, potentially short-term
- MLS — Practical, family-friendly, commercially smart
- West Ham — Championship promotion tilt with real purpose
- Sheffield Wednesday — The fairytale, if the finances allow
- Rangers — Opportunistic, driven by injury crisis
One club definitely not in the running: Leicester. Vardy confirmed on his podcast's first episode that a return to the King Power Stadium isn't happening. That chapter is closed.
Storch's public pitch remains the most compelling detail in all of this. "We're trying to figure out how to get around the restrictions to put something in front of Jamie that would make sense for him." A club owner problem-solving on radio to sign a 39-year-old. That tells you everything about what Vardy still means.
