Leicester City will reportedly offer Jamie Vardy an £80,000-per-week deal to try to keep him at the club.
Vardy’s incredible form has seen him become a £30m target for Chelsea, according to The Mirror.
The England international has bagged a division-high 15 goals this season, and broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record for scoring in successive Premier League matches by notching in 11 in a row.
But the table-topping Foxes are determined not to let the former non-league striker go without a fight and want to double his money to ward off interest from Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Vardy still has two and a half years left on the £40,000-a-week deal that he signed in 2014. That gives Leicester some security, but they may still need to take drastic action to convince him to stay.
Despite their significant troubles this season, a move to Chelsea could still be very appealing to Vardy, who turns 29 next month and may see this as his only opportunity to test himself at an elite club.
The Blues are 15th in the table, 20 points behind Leicester, but in all likelihood remain a more plausible Champions League and title-challenging outfit than the Foxes when considering the next few years.
Chelsea would also be able to match any salary that Leicester could offer Vardy. Money is little object to the Londoners and therefore it may come down to whether the player fancies the move or not.
SEE MORE:
The 10 best free transfers from January 1 2016: Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal stars all up for grabs
Hottest football WAGs 2015: Wilshere’s new girlfriend joins Chelsea, Liverpool & Man United babes in top 10
Predicted Chelsea XI vs Watford: Eden Hazard on bench as CPOW attack continue