Jamie Vardy: Manchester United and Chelsea told to pay more than £30m for Leicester striker

Vardy leads the Premier League goalscorers chart and has caught the eye of both United and Chelsea ahead of the January transfer window

Leicester striker Jamie Vardy is wanted by Chelsea and Manchester United (Getty Images)

Leicester will be willing to let in-form striker Jamie Vardy leave in the January transfer window, should Chelsea or Manchester City cough up over £30m for the 28-year-old.

Vardy, who has even attracted the attentions of Real Madrid and Barcelona only to miss a chance to impress when he was ruled out of England’s international friendly against Spain with injury, leads the Premier League goalscorers chart this season, and is a key reason behind Leicester’s incredible feat in topping the table after 13 matches.

United will get a first-hand look at the striker when they face Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Saturday evening, but The Telegraph reports that they are already interested in the forward and could mount a move in January to try and boost their lacklustre attack.

The Old Trafford outfit are not alone in showing interest in the former non-league footballer, with Chelsea’s technical director Michael Emenalo – who handles the club’s transfer business – will look to see whether Vardy is available at the turn of the year.

While the chance to impress United rarely comes along, Vardy will have his attention consumed by much more important matters this evening. With the Foxes sitting pretty at the top of the league, he will hope to keep them there for another week with victory, while a goal will see Vardy break Ruud van Nistlerooy’s Premier League record of finding the back of the net in 10 consecutive matches.

Leicester are not fazed over interest in Vardy though. With two-and-a-half years left to run on his £40,000-a-week contract, the East Midlands club hold the cards in any future negotiations, and will demand in excess of £30m given his worth in meeting the Premier League home-grown quota.

Furthermore, it’s understood that Vardy is reluctant to leave Leicester this January in case it has a detrimental effect on his Euro 2016 hopes with England, as regular football over the past two seasons has helped propel him into the Three Lions reckoning along with Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney.

With Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge still absent through injury, Vardy has put himself in the frame to become one of Roy Hodgson’s got o figures ahead of the tournament next summer.

Should either Chelsea or United shell out the asking price for Vardy, he will become one of the most expensive English strikers in history. Andy Carroll retains the highest transfer fee for an English striker following his £35m move from Newcastle to Liverpool in 2011, while Raheem Sterling’s £44.5m move to Manchester City from the Reds this summer stands as the record fee for any English player.

Leicester striker Jamie Vardy celebrates scoring against Manchester United last season (Getty Images)

Chelsea have also identified an alternative target in January in the form of West Bromwich Albion’s Saido Berahino, although Jose Mourinho has publicly spoken of his reluctance to ask the club’s board for transfer targets due to their poor form this season, claiming that he “doesn’t deserve” the right to give them his ideal candidates.

I know which players are possible, which players are impossible, but also what I told you (before) - I will not ask for players to the board,” Mourinho said on Friday. “I will try and do the best job I can and get the best results I can with the players we have.”