Euro 2016: Roy Hodgson tells Jamie Vardy to keep club matters away from England duty as Arsenal near transfer
England coach warns forward as Arsenal fear delay in decision could keep striker at Leicester
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Your support makes all the difference.Jamie Vardy has been told to focus solely on England’s Euro 2016 campaign and shelve talks over a potential £20m move to Arsenal with Arsene Wenger fearing rejection from the Leicester City forward.
Vardy checked into England’s Chantilly hotel on Monday afternoon after failing to resolve his future before boarding the flight to Paris and Arsenal are now concerned that a counter offer from the Premier League champions will persuade the player to turn down a move to the Emirates.
With Roy Hodgson maintaining his stance of refusing to allow player representatives into the team’s hotel base in France, Arsenal face an agonising wait to discover whether Vardy will accept the offer on the table.
Wenger made his move for Vardy, who scored 24 Premier League goals in Leicester’s title-winning campaign, triggering the 29-year-old’s escape clause in his contract at the King Power Stadium late last week.
But with Leicester determined to hold onto their leading goalscorer, Vardy has left Arsenal waiting on a decision as he considers his options.
The former Fleetwood Town forward is understood to be torn between moving to Arsenal, and the prestige that would come with such a transfer, and displaying loyalty to the club which handed him the opportunity to perform at the top level.
Hodgson has already given Vardy time out of England’s preparation to attend his own wedding two weeks ago, but it has now been made clear to the squad that all attentions must now to turn Saturday’s Group B opener against Russia in Marseilles.
“We are not trying to block players’ futures or transfers,” Hodgson said. “But as far as we are concerned, our ongoing theme is that England is England, your club is your club.
“While you are with England, we want you to stay focused on us.
“Whether they (agents) come to the hotel or not is a moot point. They will be talking to the players face to face, on the phone or via Skype or Facebook, who the hell knows?
“But one thing this group of players know and have accepted is that when you are on England duty, you are on England duty.
“It is not a question of you sorting out your future, or diving off for medicals.
“We control all of that and you have to accept there is a good chance that, if you say you want to go for a medical, that we will say ‘we are not allowing that and you better bring your people here."
But with Leicester determined to hold onto their leading goalscorer, Vardy has left Arsenal waiting on a decision as he considers his options, with the former Fleetwood Town forward torn between moving to the Emirates and displaying loyalty to the club which handed him the opportunity to perform at the top level.
Hodgson has already given Vardy time out of England’s preparation to attend his own wedding two weeks ago.
The England manager informed his squad that agents would not be allowed to visit the team hotel following the friendly victory against Australia at The Stadium of Light on 27 May.
And with England due to face Russia in Marseilles in their Group B opener on Saturday, Hodgson has made it clear that members of his squad must now be fully focused on playing for their country.
“Whether they (agents) come to the hotel or not is a moot point,” Hodgson said. “They will be talking to the players face to face, on the phone or via Skype or Facebook, who the hell knows?
“But one thing this group of players know and have accepted is that when you are on England duty, you are on England duty.
“It is not a question of you sorting out your future, or diving off for medicals.
“We control all of that and you have to accept there is a good chance that, if you say you want to go for a medical, that we will say ‘we are not allowing that and you better bring your people here’.
“We are not trying to block players’ futures or transfers, but as far as we are concerned our ongoing theme is that England is England, your club is your club.
“While you are with England, we want you to stay focused on us.”
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