Vardy picks Cremonese after whirlwind chase across Europe
Jamie Vardy is set to swap Leicester for Lombardy, closing in on a surprise move to newly-promoted Cremonese that will take the 38-year-old outside England for the first time in his career. The agreement is in place, the flight to Milan is booked, and a medical will seal a one-year deal through June 2026 with an option for another 12 months if the club secures Serie A survival.
The transfer follows Vardy’s exit from Leicester City this summer after a 13-year run that turned a former non-league striker into a Premier League champion and a folk hero. Out of contract and available on a free, he drew interest from all angles: Crystal Palace and Rangers tested the water, Wrexham made contact, and Feyenoord—managed by Robin van Persie—pushed hardest abroad, even preparing to make him their top earner on a short deal.
In the end, Cremonese sold him on their project and their momentum. Back in the top flight and buzzing from a dream start—wins over AC Milan and Sassuolo have put them level on points with Napoli and Roma—they offered something few newly-promoted teams can: a platform to compete now, not just survive. The option year tied to staying up shows the club’s intent and gives Vardy flexibility as he steps into a new league and a new life.
The plan is straightforward: Vardy travels to Milan for checks, signs, and is unveiled in Cremona before the weekend. The shirt number is still under wraps. The timing works on both sides—Cremonese want a proven finisher while their confidence is high, and Vardy wants minutes at the sharp end of a season that’s already rolling.
This is a big move off the pitch, too. Vardy and his wife Rebekah are preparing for a switch from the Midlands to Lombardy, trading the familiar rhythms of Leicestershire for a city known for violins and Serie A noise. For Cremonese, who play at the Stadio Giovanni Zini, it’s a statement that they intend to be more than a tourist in Italy’s top flight.
There’s more on the recruitment front. The club is also pursuing Brighton winger Jeremy Sarmiento, a lively wide option whose dribbling and direct running could pair nicely with Vardy’s movements in behind. Whether those deals land together or not, the message is clear: Cremonese are building a team with speed, edge, and experience.
Why not Feyenoord, then? Money wasn’t the only factor. The Dutch champions wanted a one-year commitment in a league where Vardy would be a marquee face but not necessarily a guaranteed fit. In Italy, the pace of play and the tactical shape can suit veteran strikers who read the game well and manage their minutes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned and scored at Milan well into his late 30s, Edin Dzeko thrived for Inter, and Fabio Quagliarella won a Golden Boot at 36. The path is there for older forwards who live on movement, timing, and finishing.
Vardy’s story remains one of the great outliers in modern football. He climbed from Stocksbridge Park Steels to Halifax and Fleetwood, then exploded at Leicester. The peak was the 2015-16 miracle title—at 5000/1 odds—when his pressing, breakaway goals, and 11-game scoring streak rewrote the script for underdogs everywhere. He later won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2019-20, lifted the FA Cup in 2021, and helped Leicester reach the Champions League quarter-finals in 2017. By the time he said goodbye this summer, he’d scored 200 times in 500 appearances for the Foxes.
His last chapter in England was rough. Leicester’s relegation cast a shadow over his final year, with managerial changes—including stints under Steve Cooper and Ruud van Nistelrooy—failing to reverse the slide. That doesn’t change the legacy. Vardy leaves behind a club transformed by his goals and a league that saw him evolve from chaos agent to clinical veteran.
For Cremonese, the question is not whether he can run as he once did; it’s how to use what he still does better than most. He remains lethal on the shoulder of the last defender, still sharp at darting to the near post, still nasty in the way he turns half-chances into goals. He is also a tone-setter in the dressing room—someone who drags standards up by being all-in, every session, every minute.
How might they set him up? Expect two basic looks. One: sit a touch deeper against the big boys, then spring Vardy into space with early passes behind the back line. Two: tighten the build-up against teams they can face down, using his off-ball movement to create gaps for midfield runners. Either way, the job is to keep his sprints short and decisive, not constant.
Minutes will be managed. At 38, he doesn’t need 90 every week to swing results. A blend of starts and impact cameos—especially in tight games where one break decides it—makes sense. Add penalty duties and late-game chaos, and you can see the outline of a striker who contributes even when the legs aren’t at full tilt.
The transition to Serie A can be tricky. The lines are tighter, the fouls are called differently, and the tactical traps are clever. Communication matters, too, and Vardy will be learning on the fly. But the league’s rhythm suits a forward who thinks fast. And there’s an edge to his profile that Italy tends to reward: he plays with spite, he plays through contact, and he never stops talking to defenders. That gets under skin in any language.
There’s also the off-field upside. A figure as famous as Vardy lifts everything: shirt sales, international attention, and matchday buzz. For a promoted club, that matters. It keeps the stadium full, helps sell the project to the next recruit, and gives the dressing room belief that they belong at this level.
What about expectations? Fair targets look like this: stay healthy, hit a streak or two that flips results, and help the club take points from the middle pack. If survival triggers the option year, both sides win—Cremonese secure continuity, and Vardy gets another season in a league that suits savvy forwards.
This move also speaks to how recruitment is shifting. Instead of betting everything on potential, Cremonese are mixing profiles: a proven finisher up top, a young winger in Sarmiento, and the core that earned promotion. It’s a hedge against the chaos of a first season back in Serie A, where momentum comes and goes quickly and cool heads matter.
Back in Leicester, there will be a tug at the heart. Vardy wasn’t just a scorer; he was a mood. He brought needle to the pitch, refused to accept his glass ceiling, and took a club higher than anyone thought possible. Statues and farewells can wait. What he’ll really want is simple: to prove he can still hurt top teams on a Saturday.
And the league he’s joining won’t make it easy. Up front, Napoli, Milan, Inter, Roma, Juventus—they all punish mistakes fast. Mid-table sides are organized, and away days can be tight, scrappy, and technical. But a hot start from Cremonese has opened a door. Take points now, build a cushion, then ride the wave.
Key details left to confirm? The formal announcement after the medical, the contract option language beyond survival, and the squad role in the first few matches. The club will also decide how soon to put him on the pitch—straight into the lineup or eased in from the bench. After a full preseason elsewhere and a shift to a new training load, the medical team’s call will be important.
Either way, the logic is sound. It’s a free transfer with upside, the salary is tied to output, and the option year protects both sides. If it clicks, Cremonese get a finisher who still unnerves elite defenses. If it doesn’t, they cut the cord without long-term pain.
For a promoted club, landing a player with this résumé is rare. For Vardy, the chance to test himself abroad—new language, new stadiums, new rivals—is a late-career twist he’s earned. The clock doesn’t stop, but the instincts don’t either. And in Serie A, where one clever run can change a game, that still counts for a lot.
What Cremonese gain, and what Serie A should expect
Cremonese get a scorer, a sprinter in short bursts, and a leader. They also get a personality that raises the stakes. He will argue with defenders, rile up crowds, and chase lost causes that make teammates follow. None of that shows up in the spreadsheets, but it swings matches, especially for clubs that live on fine margins.
Serie A gets a new storyline. An English striker—once written off in non-league—taking on Italy at 38 is not a vanity play; it’s a test case for how street-smart forwards age in a tactical league. Expect Vardy to spend more time inside the box, time runs off the right shoulder, and live on early balls threaded between center-backs and full-backs.
For all the romance, the basics decide this. Can Cremonese win the ball high enough to hit fast breaks? Can the midfield find vertical passes early? Can Vardy stay onside when lines are tight and flags go up quick? If the answers trend yes, the goals will come.
In the coming days, the pictures will land: arrival in Milan, pen to paper, a scarf held up in Cremona. Then the real work starts—new teammates, new instructions, and a league that respects strikers who make the most of half-chances. Vardy has made a career out of that. One more chapter won’t surprise anyone who’s been paying attention.