Why Leicester kept Vestergaard amid transfer speculation
Look, I know. You hate Jannik Vestergaard. You think he’s the worst signing Leicester City Football Club have made in ages, a dreadful defender and all around scary looking individual. He’s slower than a cruise ship, clumsier than the spider on skates in the boggart scene from Harry Potter, and the epitome of the club’s woes over the past couple of seasons. What reason could any sane person have for wanting to keep him? I never said I was sane.
According to the Mercury’s Jordan Blackwell, Belgian League side Anderlecht were rumored to be interested in Vestergaard. Obviously with their window now being shut a few days, he didn’t end up making the move. Once again Leicester City have missed an opportunity to sell the towering Danish defender, and I think there are a few different reasons as to why.
First, I don’t think he wanted to take any offers he had. It’s doubtful other than a move to the Saudi League, that any team would be able to match his wages. Currently Vestergaard earns £70,000 per week playing for the Foxes. Whatever you think about his wages, it’s an unfortunate byproduct of where the board were trying to put the club in terms of stature. We were supposed be disrupting the top six, and the contracts offered to players represents that ambition.
Secondly, there is the January transfer window. Depending where Leicester sit in the table and in terms of injuries, I could see them being fairly active. We haven’t had a history of doing so but that was in the Premier League in different times with different goals and structure. I definitely can see the angle of the club using this promising manager’s new tactics to showcase a player and increase his value ahead of their final window to offload him.
‘Big Jan’ as I like to call him hasn’t been terrible for us. Obviously with Connor Coady only just returning to training, the manager saw in him a leader and a defender who is comfortable on the ball. While not in the current set up, he has represented his country in the past and gained the experience that comes with it. Admittedly, his weaknesses can be a crux on which Leicester City’s defensive stability hinges.
Third and finally, I just see the realistic scenario in which the club are trying to get some value from a player that has previously only played 10 games for us. I could wager that when Enzo Maresca was hired he agreed to have a look at everyone at the club and was urged to use anyone he could in his system. If the manager thinks he can use him, who are we to say different? I just hope that it is indeed Maresca wanting to use him, and not the club insisting for some reason.
As much as I’ve defended Vestergaard being in the team, it’s obvious Coady is the first choice over the Scandinavian center half when he is fit. We may see Vestergaard resigned to cup duty and as a rotational player. I still believe in my heart of hearts that given the time, the new coaching staff could get him to be a force on set pieces, but fully realize this is most likely a pipe dream.
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No matter what you think of him, Big Jan has already played a part this season and may continue to as the season wears on. His coolness in possession and passing ability have stood out to our Italian manager, and he’s pressed on with him in every game this season. What will the future hold for Vestergaard? Only time will tell. Thanks for reading and as always up the boys! LTID!