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Jamie Vardy to Arsenal: Leicester target Watford captain Troy Deeney in bid to replace striker

Deeney scored 13 times in the Premier League this season, but could link-up with Vardy if he decides to stay

Jack de Menezes

Monday 06 June 2016 11:11 BST

Troy Deeney is being targeted by Premier League champions Leicester (Getty)

As Arsenal close in on England striker Jamie Vardy, Leicester are already making plans for his potential departure after identifying Watford captain Troy Deeney as a possible replacement, should Vardy choose to leave the Premier League champions.

Leicester will attempt to keep Vardy at the King Power Stadium by making him a last-ditch contract offer to reward him for his form this season that proved a major factor in the Foxes winning the Premier League title.

Arsenal have offered a contract worth over £100,000-a-week to 29-year-old Vardy in an effort to convince him to move to London and lead the Gunners’ attack next season, where Arsene Wenger will hope to end the 13-year wait for his fourth Premier League title success.

According to The Telegraph, Leicester are making sure that transfer plans are already active in the event of Vardy’s departure, with 27-year-old Deeney catching the eye of manager Claudio Ranieri.

Should Vardy decide to stay at the club and turn down a move to Arsenal, it’s added that Leicester will continue with plans to try and sign Deeney in the hope that the English pair would form their strike partnership next season.

It’s claimed that Deeney would set Leicester back around £15m, but while Deeney is more than happy to remain at Watford given his comfort with leading the Hornets, the chance to play in the Champions League would likely prove too much to turn down.

Arsenal striker transfer targets

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1/10Arsenal striker transfer targets

Arsenal striker transfer targets

Alvaro Morata (Juventus)

Morata looks certain to leave Juventus, but his destination remains unknown. Real Madrid lead the pursuit for the Spain international given they can activate a €30m [£23.6m] release clause in his contract after 1 July, but Juventus will be keen to sell elsewhere given they can command a much bigger fee based on is valutation. Morata would represent a proven goalscorer that Arsenal have lacked in recent years, having fired Juventus to two Serie A title and last season’s Champions League final.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Edinson Cavani (PSG)

Cavani is ready to end his Paris Saint-Germain career and move on to pastures new, having grown unhappy at playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic – who himself is poised to leave the club this summer. Having played in both Serie A and Ligue 1, Cavani has admitted that he would like to play in the Premier League, and the Gunners have been linked with the Uruguay international in the past.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli)

Arsenal missed out on Higuain when he left Real Madrid in 2013, having had a bid accepted for the Argentine only to see Napoli storm in and snap up the striker. However, Higuain could be on his way out of Naples, with the club looking to freshen their squad up in a bid to go one better and build on this season’s likely second-place finish to challenge champions Juventus.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Benzema may be another who finds his time is up at his current club, with Real expected to make a major signing of their own in the summer to try and add to the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. While his two cohorts take the headlines in Madrid, Benzema remains one of the most prolific finishers in European football, and the Gunners showed genuine interest in the France international last summer only to decide against meeting Real’s valuation.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)

Sturridge’s future has grown uncertain since Jurgen Klopp arrived at Liverpool. The striker has reiterated his commitment to the club and helped them reach the Europa League final, but he has also shown a dissatisfaction at times when Klopp has left him out of the side. Arsenal were reported to be interested in the striker, but strained tensions between the two clubs following the Gunners’ interest in Luis Suarez could scupper any potential deal.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Neymar (Barcelona)

A move for the Brazilian superstar would certainly be one of the biggest shocks of the summer, but his future in Barcelona is uncertain and the Catalans could be forced into selling him due to their increasing financial troubles. United have again shown interest in Neymar, but there is no reason to suggest that Arsenal can’t challenge them financially for Neymar’s signature and he would certainly fit into Arsene Wenger’s style of football.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Radamel Falcao (Monaco)

The Colombian has failed at both Manchester United and Chelsea, and is due to return to Monaco at the end of the season after a torturous two-year spell in England. But could he remain upon these shores and join Arsenal? With Monaco keen to sell and Falcao scoring a total of six goals in two years, the former Atletico Madrid forward would be available for a much lower fee than was touted 12 months ago, and you can guarantee that one big club playing in European competition will decide to take the risk on Falcao.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund)

The Gabon international is emerging as one of the most lethal finishers in Europe, having scored 25 goals in the Bundesliga this season and 30 in all competitions. Both Arsenal and Tottenham have been linked with Aubameyang, and the Gunners have sent scouts to watch the 26-year-old, with the club keeping an eye on him given Borussia Dortmund’s inability to hold on to their biggest players.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan)

The Inter Milan forward has emerged as a possible alternative to Morata, and at 23 years old Icardi would certainly offer Arsenal an option for a number of years. Icardi has scored 16 goals in Serie A this season, firing Inter back into European contention, but his form has caught the eye of the likes of Chelsea and United. However, the Inter captain has stressed that he will remain with the Italian club for next season, yet Arsenal could yet persuade him to move to the Emirates with the carrot of Champions League football.

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Arsenal striker transfer targets

Romelu Lukaku (Everton)

Lukaku is expected to leave under-performing Everton in the summer after admitting he wants to play in the Champions League next season. United have always been the front-runners for Lukaku, although a return to former club Chelsea has also been reported, while PSG are keeping an eye on the strong Belgian. However, Lukaku would certainly boost the Arsenal squad, and at 22 years old he could be the striker that Arsenal can build their squad around in the future.

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Deeney scored 13 goals in the top flight this season as Watford surged clear of the relegation dogfight, having been promoted from the Championship the season before. Despite manager Quique Sanchez Flores being sacked by the club at the end of the season and Walter Mazzarri being appointed as his replacement, Deeney remains committed to the club that handed him a second chance after he served a three-month prison sentence in 2012.

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