Arsenal: Who’s Right About Jamie Vardy; Paul Merson Or Ian Wright?

Paul Merson and Ian Wright have had their say on the ongoing debate among Arsenal circles: Does Jamie Vardy fit Arsene Wenger’s style of play? The two disagree, which leads me to the question: Which of the Arsenal legends is right about the Leicester forward?

It is an unusual situation to be in as an Arsenal fan. Being able to speculate about the possibility of a major signing joining the club, dream about how they may fit into the system, the successes and failures of a possible transfer.

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This is what Arsenal fans, pundits and ex-players are all doing with the potential signing of Jamie Vardy, and there are some differing opinions on the Leicester City striker.

In particular, ex-Arsenal players Paul Merson and Ian Wright have both had their say on how Vardy will fit into Arsenal’s side, and their positions on the matter are polar opposite. Speaking to Sky Sports, Paul Merson criticized the potential move, stating that he didn’t see how Vardy’s game complimented the philosophy of Wenger:

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"“It doesn’t fit with me. Arsenal don’t get the ball forward quickly enough. I don’t get the transfer, I really don’t get it. No disrespect to Vardy but his strengths are getting the ball over the top. Teams come onto Leicester and they hit them on the counter. The vast majority of Vardy’s goals came from one-on-one with goalkeepers. Teams kick-off against Arsenal and immediately put 10 behind the ball and they’ve got to try and break them down.”"

Merson certainly makes a valid point. Vardy plays to a very specific style, one that Arsenal do not employ. The counter attacking style that Leicester employed early in the season and saw Vardy flourish. However, as the year progressed, opposing teams began to sit deeper and Vardy’s goal scoring exploits did not match his form earlier in the year.

Ian Wright, on the other hand, is adamant that Vardy would succeed at the Emirates. While the aforementioned style clashes are cause for concern, Wright states:

"“But if you’re a clever player – and Vardy is – then you have the ability to change your game. The idea you only have one way of playing is as insulting as it’s wrong. And so what if signing Vardy means teams suddenly start dropping deep to stop him getting in behind? If that happens, all it does is leave more space for the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla and all those create sorts. I’m delighted to see Arsene going for an English striker who is a proven Premier League goalscorer. And, equally important, someone who is a winner.”"

So, we here have two very differing opinions about whether Vardy fits into this Arsenal side. So who’s right?

Well, if you’ve followed any previous posts of mine, you will notice a trend; I am a huge fan of this signing. While there are valid concerns about a clash of styles, there is one thing that Vardy can do irrespective of how the team sets up, and that is score goals.

Vardy is a world class, proven Premier League goalscorer. He does not only possess great pace, is an excellent runner of the channels and a nuisance to any center half, but he is absolutely lethal in front of goal. Vardy can score a wide range of goals, he is an outstanding finisher, unlike current starting forward for Arsenal, Olivier Giroud.

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This is why this would be such a good signing. Style concerns are fair, but they ultimately do not stack up to Vardy’s ability to ripple the net. He is the very best in the business, and he could well fire Arsenal to the Premier League title… if he joins.