Ranieri on Vardy-to-Arsenal rumors: "It's all true"

In the print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has confirmed that Arsenal are pursuing star striker Jamie Vardy. When asked about rumors surrounding Vardy's future, the manager responded "it's all true." According to the Independent, the deal is moving quickly and could be completed as soon as Monday.

The Independent reports additionally that Vardy's £20 million release clause applies only to teams qualified for Champions League competition, which probably explains why Arsenal's the only team who's attempted to trigger it. None of the other qualified teams, after all, have a real need at striker.

The report also includes some old quotes from Arsène Wenger about Vardy, praising the player:

Yes he is worth [up to] £30m, because he is the best goal-scorer in the league. You have many players under him who have been paid much more, and who don’t score that number of goals. Without a doubt, he is worth that money today.

Despite Wenger's comments, I remain somewhat dubious about this whole thing, though I've moved from "this doesn't seem like it's real" to "okay but why is this real?" Nonetheless, the deal appears to be moving apace, so I guess I'd better get used to it.