Manchester City vs Leicester City: Jamie Vardy admits intent to sign new Foxes deal ahead of Etihad trip

Jamie Vardy has handed Leicester City a major boost ahead of their clash with title rivals Manchester City on Saturday (6 February) by admitting that he will sign a new contract with the Foxes despite interest from Premier League big guns. The former Fleetwood Town forward is the top marksman in the league this season with 18 goals and is likely to better the tally with 14 still left to play.

According to the Daily Mail, the striker is on the verge of signing a lucrative new deal that will see him earn around £80,000 a week ($116,380) and ensure his stay with the club at least until the summer of 2019. It is a massive increase on his current deal which expires in the summer of 2018. The Foxes are currently on top of the league table, three points ahead of second-placed City, whom they face on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium.

The England international's commitment despite being linked to Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks will come as a big boost to the manager and to all players of the title-chasing club. He had already expressed his desire to remain at the King Power Stadium for the foreseeable future and has now confirmed that a deal will be agreed, but has made it clear that his agent will handle it, leaving him free to concentrate on leading Leicester's title charge.

"It will be sorted, I'm leaving all of that up to my agent," the Premier League's leading scorer said, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

The 29-year-old forward also acknowledged that all the other clubs around them have written them off from winning the title despite challenging at the top of the table throughout the campaign thus far.

"Everyone has been writing us off from day one and we'll go to the next game at Manchester City on Saturday treating it like any other," he added.