Italian football expert on São Paulo’s interest in Vardy: “He could help” | OneFootball

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

The Morumbi club is considering signing the center-forward, whose career carries enormous international weight, most notably as the greatest idol in Leicester City’s recent history, where he played a starring role in the iconic and astonishing 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 his possible arrival would bring to Morumbi, AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR spoke with 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 league. According to Bitencourt, the center-forward had positive moments at the start of the campaign, playing an important role 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 made it seem like they would still be there by December,” the journalist said.

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 by 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 the 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 reference man, 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 into Serie B thanks to the veteran’s decisive performances in the final stretch. “They even went into the last round still alive because of Vardy’s goals in two of the final three matches, but their fate was decided against Como. And to make matters worse, Lecce had a safe Genoa…,” Bitencourt recalls.

Relationship with the fans and charisma in Italian football

Despite the relegation, Vardy’s presence left a mark on the day-to-day life of the Italian club and on the affection of the local supporters. Asked about the fans’ identification with him and the reasons for the contract not being renewed, 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, one way or another, by that point he was the so-called ‘provincial bomber.’ Even though the drop was somewhat expected, it was still the image of an accomplished player going to play in Cremona,” he said.

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

Fit at São Paulo and squad priorities

As for a possible move to Brazilian football and comparisons with the current names in São Paulo’s attack, Bitencourt cautiously analyzes the squad’s shortcomings and the club’s current situation. And, above all, 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 crux of the matter is that he’s not exactly what the team needs right now. Especially considering the defense and the lack of options in defensive midfield. But he could contribute,” 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, where they’re desperate to rehabilitate Arboleda, besides players who haven’t played proper football in a long time, like Wendell, Pablo Maia… and Rafael. Although I wouldn’t rule out Luciano’s dip in form being a factor as well,” Bitencourt concluded.

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