Sheffield Wednesday warned about Jamie Vardy 'stumbling block' | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday have eyed a move for boyhood fan and former England striker Jamie Vardy

Sheffield Wednesday have plotted an eye-catching move for former England and Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy.

The Owls must rebuild their squad following their time in administration and subsequent relegation to League One, while Vardy could be the man to score the goals that can help them land a Championship return.

Wednesday have been left with a squad that is thin on the ground, thanks to former owner Dejphon Chansiri's wrongdoings, but new owner David Storch is keen to get the South Yorkshire outfit moving in the right direction again as soon as possible.

Vardy is a boyhood Owls fan, but was released by the Hillsborough outfit as a teenager, which meant that he began his illustrious career in the humble depths of non-league.

Sheffield Wednesday warned about one factor that may stand in the way of 'romantic' Jamie Vardy swoop

The Leicester legend left the Foxes last summer before joining Cremonese, where he scored seven goals and registered two assists in 29 Serie A appearances.

Despite the 39-year-old's efforts, Cremonese were relegated to Serie B, and Vardy is now ready for a new chapter amid interest from Wednesday.

Football League World asked our Owls fan pundit, Patrick McKenna, if he thinks the amount of money the South Yorkshire side can spend on wages will be a stumbling block to their hopes of signing the ex-Leicester hotshot.

McKenna told FLW: "Yes, certainly. Money and wages could be the stumbling block in Sheffield Wednesday looking to sign Jamie Vardy and fit him into their plans for next season.

"It ultimately would take a really good argument being pitched by our owners to convince Vardy to come here for a League One wage, even if it's a top-end League One wage.

"I know there is the romance in playing for his childhood club, but the fact is that he can still command a wage way beyond what Sheffield Wednesday would be able to offer him next season.

"He's a professional footballer, and he's entitled to earn as much money as he can before he finally hangs up his boots. So it remains in the unrealistic category, I think.

"When you do mention money and wages, we can't afford to go absolutely outside any structure. It really depends on Jamie Vardy, whether he would consider a huge pay cut for one final season."

Jamie Vardy's wage demands may see Wednesday lose out to top-flight club

Joining Wednesday would see Vardy end what has already been a fairytale career romantically, and could help the Owls return to the Championship.

However, as McKenna summarised, the Hillsborough club would likely be unable to pay the former England striker the wages he wants in the closing stages of his career.

Meanwhile, as per BBC Sport, Dutch side Feyenoord are among the clubs interested in Vardy, who still believes he is capable of playing at the top level.

Vardy's wage demands, coupled with Feyenoord's interest, could mean that Wednesday lose out in the race to sign their former academy player.

According to Capology estimates, the veteran earns £30,788 per week, which is a high amount for any League One club, let alone a side who are recovering from administration.