Jamie Vardy Joins Burnley After Wrexham and Leicester Links
Jamie Vardy has joined Burnley on a one-year contract after leaving relegated Cremonese, ending speculation over a possible return to Leicester City or a move to Wrexham.
The former England striker spent a single season in Serie A before Cremonese’s drop ended his Italian stay. Vardy, who was without a club during the 2026 summer window, chose Turf Moor and is now set to face Wrexham in the Championship rather than play for them.
- Burnley: Vardy has signed for 12 months and has made one substitute appearance, playing 25 minutes. The Clarets are bottom of the Championship, still without a win.
- Wrexham: A switch to the Racecourse Ground was discussed, with Vardy’s former Leicester colleague Danny Simpson saying there had been genuine interest. Wrexham have taken seven points from seven league matches.
- Leicester City: A Foxes reunion was also floated after their back-to-back relegations left the former Premier League champions in League One, but Vardy waited for another offer.
- Everton: Simpson believed Vardy could have offered late-game attacking experience from the bench, potentially alongside Thierno Barry, but that move did not materialise.
Vardy closes on 40
Vardy turns 40 on January 11 and will remain at Burnley beyond that landmark if he sees out his deal. He joins a small group of elite-level veterans to have played into their forties, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Gianluigi Buffon and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Simpson believes Vardy can still deliver goals, pointing to his fitness, sharpness and disciplined conditioning. He also feels the striker could play on for another season, provided Burnley manage his workload carefully through the demanding Tuesday-Saturday Championship schedule.
Vardy previously scored more than 20 goals during Leicester’s promotion campaign and is also developing interests away from the pitch, including YouTube work and Bundesliga match streaming.
What happens next
Burnley and Wrexham head into the international break needing a response after difficult starts. Vardy will be pushing for more minutes when the Championship resumes, with Burnley looking for their first victory and their new forward seeking his first goal for the club.
