Ex-Premier League star targeted as Rangers plot bold European push | OneFootball

Rangers Plot Jamie Vardy Swoop for Champions League Push

Interest grows in Vardy’s next move

Jamie Vardy, the striker who once terrorised Premier League defences and fired Leicester City to the most improbable title triumph in English football history, is now contemplating an audacious move north of the border. According to The Mirror, Rangers have emerged as serious contenders to land the 38-year-old on a free transfer following his confirmed departure from Leicester City.

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This potential move could hand Vardy a long-awaited return to Champions League football, a stage he last graced during Leicester’s 2016–17 campaign. He featured in nine games during that memorable European run, scoring against both Sevilla and Atletico Madrid as the Foxes reached the quarter-finals. For a player whose career has been punctuated by grit and late-blooming brilliance, a swansong in Europe’s premier competition would be a fitting encore.

Rangers’ European intent clear

Having finished second in the Scottish Premiership behind Celtic, Rangers will enter the second qualifying round of next season’s Champions League. Their previous attempt to return to the group stages ended in disappointment at the hands of Dynamo Kyiv. For all the ambition at Ibrox, securing a proven goalscorer with Vardy’s pedigree could offer both an immediate statement and a vital edge in navigating the early rounds.

Though Rangers are currently without a permanent manager following Barry Ferguson’s interim spell, names such as Russell Martin and Davide Ancelotti have been linked. Steven Gerrard, despite his past success with the club, appears unlikely to make a return.

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Whether or not a deal materialises for Vardy, it is not the first time Rangers have considered a move for the former England international. As Ally McCoist recalled in 2022, “I tried to get Vardy when he was at Fleetwood, believe it or not. I couldn’t get the money… My coach John Brown watched Jamie Vardy. He had a great eye for a player… We need to get this lad.”

Free agency draws global attention

Vardy is expected to receive offers from across the globe, including suitors in Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. However, a move to Rangers could offer something no other option realistically does: Champions League football and the chance to etch his name into another historic club.

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Gary Lineker, speaking after Vardy’s departure, paid glowing tribute to his former club’s talisman. “He’s inimitable. He can be a bit of a s***house at times on the pitch for everyone, but I always think in a brilliant way. He’s been one of the game’s great finishers… He’s been incredibly consistent and very much an absolute hero of all Leicester City fans.”

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

Jamie Vardy to Ibrox? That’s not just a signing, it’s a statement. A signing that signals ambition, audacity, and a refusal to let the Champions League dream slip away lightly.

Of course, at 38, Vardy is no longer the electric frontman who led Leicester’s fairytale. But this is a player who has built his entire career on defying assumptions and rewriting narratives. He might not have the pace of old, but his movement, instinct and ability to rise in the biggest moments remain intact.

There’s also a deeper symbolism. For Rangers, still in pursuit of continental credibility post-Gerrard and still shaking off the shadow of domestic inconsistency, landing a name like Vardy adds gravitas. It also raises standards. Younger forwards in the squad would learn plenty simply by training alongside him.

It’s not without risk, and wages will be a factor. But if Vardy is genuinely eager for one last Champions League adventure, Ibrox might just be the perfect stage.