Everton's Surprising Pursuit of Jamie Vardy as Free-Agent Solution
Everton are weighing up a move for Jamie Vardy on a free transfer, with a growing section of the fanbase backing what would be one of the most surprising deals of the season.
The club head into the autumn with just one senior centre-forward after selling Beto on deadline day and failing to land Folarin Balogun. It has left David Moyes staring at a glaring hole at the top end of the pitch, with the transfer window shut and no scope for a permanent signing before January.
That pushes Everton into the free-agent market. And that is where Vardy comes in.
Released by Cremonese at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, the former England striker is back on the market at 39 and has already attracted plenty of interest. He has reportedly turned down an approach from Wrexham, but a return to the Premier League is now on the table, with Everton among the clubs considering him.
For a fanbase braced for bad news, the reaction has been anything but cold.
Fans back bold Vardy punt
On paper, the situation is stark. Everton are one injury or loss of form away from having no recognised senior striker until the winter window. That is the kind of gamble that can drag a team down the table in a matter of weeks.
Under those circumstances, dipping into the pool of free agents feels less like a luxury and more like a necessity.
When The Sun first reported that Vardy was under consideration at Goodison Park, it looked tailor-made for a backlash. A 39-year-old forward, long past his explosive peak, coming in without the benefit of a pre-season? Easy target.
The mood has gone the other way. Supporters have flocked to X to back the idea, arguing that in Everton’s current predicament, Vardy would be a smart, opportunistic signing rather than a nostalgic roll of the dice.
They are not expecting the Leicester City version that terrorised defences and fired a title win. They just want someone who knows where the goal is.
Can Vardy still deliver?
The key question is simple: how much is left in the tank?
Vardy’s legs are not what they were, but the numbers from last season in Serie A with Cremonese show he has not forgotten how to finish. He scored seven league goals and picked up the division’s Player of the Month award in November, proof that he can still influence games at a high level.
No one at Everton is drawing up projections of double figures. The bar is lower, and very specific. A handful of goals. A couple of decisive moments. A late winner here, a vital equaliser there. That alone could justify a short-term deal and buy Moyes breathing space until January.
For a manager boxed in by the calendar and the market, that kind of impact might be enough.
Whether Everton turn interest into a formal offer is the next step. For now, the idea of Jamie Vardy, back in the Premier League and leading the line in blue, hangs in the air — a gamble that could yet define the first half of their season.
