Italian football expert on São Paulo's interest in Vardy: “Could help” | OneFootball

Available on the market after the end of his spell with Cremonese, Italy, experienced English striker Jamie Vardy, 39, stirred up the São Paulo fanbase after becoming the target of talks and speculation involving Tricolor.

The Morumbi club is considering signing the center-forward, whose career carries enormous international weight, standing out as the greatest idol in Leicester City’s recent history, where he played a leading role in the iconic and surprising Premier League title win in the 2015/16 season. For the England national team, the player featured at the 2018 World Cup and has seven goals in 26 appearances.

To understand how the striker’s recent spell in Italian football went and the impact a possible arrival would bring to Morumbi, AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR spoke to journalist Caio Bitencourt, from Calciopédia, a YouTube channel and website that is a reference in Brazil for coverage of football in the European country.

Ups and downs in Serie A and Cremonese’s relegation

Vardy’s season in Cremona reflected his team’s inconsistency in the Italian Championship. According to Bitencourt, the center-forward had positive moments early in the campaign, being an important piece while the team remained competitive.

“He had his good moments when Cremonese were doing well at the start of the season, when it looked like the team was going to survive. He got his goals between September and November, and Cremonese somehow looked like they were going to hang in there through December,” the journalist analyzed.

However, the team’s overall performance collapsed in the following months. “From January onward, they didn’t beat anyone again until May, when Vardy reappeared scoring goals. Between January and May, he had only provided one assist in the win against Parma in March, which was the only one, and because of a very poor second half of the season, that was why Cremonese went down,” Bitencourt explained.

The specialist stresses that the striker’s difficulties were far from being a physical issue or a lack of individual effort. “Good moments, a focal point up front, and all that, but it was pure drama—not so much because of him or his fitness, which was okay, but because the team as a whole couldn’t get the ball to him,” he pointed out.

Cremonese still fought until the end to avoid dropping to Serie B thanks to the veteran’s decisive performances in the final stretch. “They were still alive on the final matchday because of Vardy’s goals in two of the last three games, but it all came down against Como. And to make matters worse, Lecce had a safe Genoa…,” Bitencourt recalled.

Relationship with the fans and charisma in Italian football

Despite the relegation, Vardy’s presence left a mark on the daily life of the Italian club and on the affection of the local supporters. Asked about the fans’ connection with him and the reasons behind the non-renewal of his contract, the journalist points to the player’s star status in the region.

“I think so (the relegation weighed on the decision not to renew), because like it or not, at this point he was what you’d call a ‘provincial bomber.’ Even though the drop was somewhat expected, it was still the image of an established player going to play in Cremona,” he assessed.

Overall, Vardy finished the Italian season with seven goals and two assists in 29 appearances. He had 30 shots in total (14 of them on target), averaging 4.3 attempts per goal. Overall, the Englishman ended with a 50% conversion rate for big chances and also finished as one of the leaders in the Italian league for aerial duels won, with 48.

Fit at São Paulo and squad priorities

On the possible move to Brazilian football and the comparison with the current names in Tricolor’s attack, Bitencourt carefully analyzes the squad’s shortcomings and the club’s current moment. And, most importantly, he answers the question every São Paulo fan is asking: is he better than Calleri? The answer is surprising.

“There’s no way to say no, looking at his track record. The key issue is that he’s not exactly what the team needs right now. Especially compared to the need in defense and the lack of options in defensive midfield. But he could help,” he said.

The journalist also highlights that the move carries a strong element of risk and opportunity, linking the search for reinforcements to other weaknesses in the Tricolor squad.

“Look, in this case (Vardy negotiating with São Paulo), you have to like adventure. To me, I think it says more about the pieces involved. Especially in defense, because they’re desperate to rehabilitate Arboleda, besides guys who haven’t been playing well for a long time, like Wendell, Pablo Maia… and Rafael. Although I wouldn’t rule out Luciano’s dip in form as a factor either,” Bitencourt concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.