Jamie Vardy 'distraction' claim made amid Sheffield Wednesday talk | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit doesn't think that Jamie Vardy will be joining the club, despite still being a free agent

The EFL campaigns kick off in a week, and Jamie Vardy is still a free agent.

The 39-year-old Leicester City legend departed Cremonese at the end of last season, after their immediate relegation from Serie A allowed him to walk away. He still scored seven times in 29 Italian top-flight appearances and is said to still want to continue his career.

And as soon as he left Italy and returned to England as a free agent, there was small optimism from a couple of his former clubs that he could end his career back with them - Leicester, where he spent 13 years before last summer's move, and Sheffield Wednesday.

The boyhood Wednesday fan returning to the club he was released from aged 16 back in 2002 to complete his sole career goal and help kickstart a new era under the Arise ownership would have been some storybook ending, and it was something that the new higher-ups discussed.

But Vardy himself denied any possibility of a return in late June.

Jamie Vardy ship has sailed, says Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit

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Nevertheless, as the new season edges closer to kicking off, there may still be some Sheffield Wednesday fans living in hope that Vardy could make a surprising return to Hillsborough and play in League One for the first time in his career.

FLW's Owls fan pundit, Patrick McKenna, is not one of those still in hope, believing that the focus should be on adding more players to help bolster the squad ahead of the window closing, rather than holding out for the dream move.

"Yeah, I think with Jamie Vardy, that ship has sailed," McKenna admitted.

"It was quite amusing over the summer being linked to signing him, but it looks quite clear that's not going to happen at this stage, and we just need to crack on with signing a few more players.

"Of course, if I'm wrong, and he did sign, then fantastic, but I think the rumour is just a distraction, and we should be focusing on signing a few more players, so we have a strong squad for the season ahead."

Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit still relieved that transfer rumours can exist at Hillsborough this summer

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Ultimately, McKenna, like many Wednesday fans, is still taken aback by the movement of the club over the past summer, and still feels a sense of surreality heading into the first season under the Arise ownership.

This time last year, Owls fans were fearing the worst, with players leaving due to contract breaches and for cut prices under the stewardship of Dejphon Chansiri, who was refusing to sell the club.

It's night and day right now compared to 12 months ago, and the fact that Sheffield Wednesday can even dream of bringing someone like Vardy in showcases ambition from the top of the club that is almost alien to those in the stands at Hillsborough.

But bringing Vardy to League One may be a step too far this summer for the South Yorkshire side.

"I'm just glad that we can talk about signing someone like Vardy this summer, compared to what was happening last summer," McKenna admitted.

"But I just don't think it's going to happen."

Sheffield Wednesday aren't done yet in the transfer window

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It's been a little quiet throughout the week at Sheffield Wednesday, after Mason Burstow was announced as their latest signing on July 31. The 22-year-old Hull City loanee became the Owls' 12th signing this summer, helping bolster the forward options.

However, despite making more signings than anyone else in the EFL, there's still plenty of work to be done at Hillsborough before the window slams shut on September 1.

The prospect of signing 20 players this summer hasn't been dismissed, so there are potentially still eight new faces to be added to Henrik Pedersen's squad over the next month. Even if it doesn't hit that, though, around five or six new additions should be made.

Ideally, a new out-and-out striker is still someone who needs to be brought in. Wednesday fans would love for that to be Vardy, but perhaps they shouldn't hold their breath.