Jamie Vardy seals Championship transfer following Sheffield Wednesday interest
Jamie Vardy has sealed a move to Burnley, officially ending any hopes Sheffield Wednesday had of adding him to their squad.
Championship side Burnley have announced the signing of Jamie Vardy amid ongoing speculation linking the striker with a move to Sheffield Wednesday.
The Clarets, who are currently bottom of the second tier after failing to win any of their opening five matches, confirmed the addition of the 39-year-old on Sunday afternoon. He has signed a contract until the end of the season at Turf Moor.
Wednesday had expressed an interest in bringing Vardy, a lifelong Wednesdayite, to Hillsborough during the summer transfer window, with chairman David Storch revealing last month that the Owls were ‘figuring out’ a way to navigate the EFL restrictions they are currently under in an attempt to bring the veteran goalscorer to S6.
Wednesday launched a ‘creative’ formal proposal to the EFL that would have enabled them to offer Vardy a package. However, their proposal was rejected at EFL board level on the basis that it was felt to fall outside the terms of their ‘business plan’ agreement.
Owls sporting director Simon Wilson confirmed only a few days ago that Wednesday were not currently in discussions with the former England striker, playing down the likelihood of him being added to Henrik Pedersen’s squad.
“I think if Jamie Vardy wanted to come to the football club, if there was a way to do it, I think we'd be interested in having that conversation,” Wilson said. “At this current moment in time, there's not a conversation happening around that.
“It's not to say there can't be, it's not to say there won't be, but there isn’t one right now.”
Vardy, who has been a free agent since leaving Italian side US Cremonese at the end of last season, had attracted interest from here in England, the US and Brazil. He will now resume his career at Turf Moor and assist with the Clarets’ ambitions of turning their season around.
“I’m really happy to now be here at Burnley FC,” Vardy told the club’s website. “This club has a proper footballing history and passionate fans who deserve a team that represents them and their town.
“I can’t wait to get going on the pitch and help the team move in the right direction.”