Leicester City’s Contract Expiring Players and What the Future Holds
Jamie Vardy leads the shortlist of Leicester City players entering the final 12 months of their contracts, with the striker set to turn 38 before his deal expires.
When Kasey McAteer signed a new contract with Leicester City in August, the number of senior players with contracts expiring within the next 12 months dropped to just three.
This is fewer than in previous years when the club saw a significant number of players leave on free transfers.
In 2023, Leicester lost Youri Tielemans, Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu, Daniel Amartey, Ayoze Perez, Papy Mendy, and Ryan Bertrand without receiving any transfer fees.
This past summer, five players had expiring contracts, with Kelechi Iheanacho, Dennis Praet, and Marc Albrighton departing, while Jamie Vardy and Wilfred Ndidi stayed.
Although the club’s decision-makers have less to manage this time around, a few important decisions still need to be made.
Here’s a look at the players whose contracts end next summer and what might happen with them.
Jamie Vardy
Vardy signed a one-year extension this summer, just weeks before his previous contract was set to expire.
Next year, a similar situation could unfold. Vardy, who turns 38 in January, is likely to continue receiving one-year deals based on his performance.
Last season, after scoring 20 goals and proving he still has a sharp eye for goal, Vardy earned his latest extension.
The key question is how many goals he needs to score this season to merit another contract.
Despite being older by football standards, Vardy takes great care of himself and tends to suffer only minor injuries. His goal tally will likely be the deciding factor.
He has scored twice so far this campaign, already improving on the three goals he managed in Leicester’s relegation season.
If Vardy reaches double figures, pushing his overall tally closer to 200 goals for the club, fans will likely demand another year.
Danny Ward
Danny Ward is in his seventh season with Leicester City, but it could be his last.
Currently, he serves as Mads Hermansen’s backup and has helped the club progress to the Carabao Cup fourth round.
However, it seems Leicester are preparing to move forward without him.
Last season, Ward didn’t play a single match, with Hermansen and Jakub Stolarczyk taking the top two goalkeeper spots.
If Stolarczyk hadn’t broken his foot during pre-season, he likely would have been the one to feature in the cup games instead of Ward.
This suggests that Ward’s future at Leicester is uncertain, and this could be his final season at the club.
