Jamie Vardy to Arsenal: Arsene Wenger confirms striker likely to remain at Leicester City

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Jamie Vardy is set to stay in Leicester City next season, snubbing the Gunners' advances for the striker this summer. The north London club had triggered his release clause and are waiting for his decision, which is likely to arrive officially after the European Championships in France.

Vardy scored 24 goals last season, second only to Tottenham's Harry Kane, and was deemed as the missing link which will lead the Gunners to their first ever league title in over a decade. Leicester, desperate to keep hold of their stars, had made a counter-offer and the striker is believed to have accepted it and is expected to sign a new extension with the Foxes with whom he won the title last season.

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri had previously confirmed that Arsenal had triggered Vardy's release clause but was hopeful that they would be able to hold on to their star striker next season. The 29-year-old, who is yet to make a single start for England, came off the bench against Wales to score the equaliser which set the wheels in motion for Daniel Sturridge to score the winner in injury time.

"We want to keep him, Arsenal have said they will pay the full release clause, but he hasn't accepted yet. He gets the last word," the Italian manager said, as quoted by football-italia.net

Wenger's comments during Euro 2016 suggest that the striker has had his say and will continue his association with Leicester next season, thereby forcing the Frenchman to look at other options in the current transfer window.

"Jamie Vardy, at the moment, is at Leicester. On what I know, he will stay at Leicester," Wenger said, while speaking to Japanese TV.

The revelation comes shortly after the vice chairman of Leicester Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha hinted that Vardy was expected to stay put at the King Power Stadium with the rest of the team.

"You will see the news very soon. But I think he will stay," Srivaddhanaprabha told the Daily Mail.

"I think, so let's see. We need to build the team. We keep continuing to believe that we can do something special in the Premier League and the Champions League."