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The Nairobian

Arsene Wenger wants to find a new Jamie Vardy

Football

By Mirror | Feb 14, 2016

*Jamie Vardy celebrates a goal for Leicester city*

Ben Wrigglesworth was key to the surprise Prem leaders signing the non-League striker and fellow bargains Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante

Arsene Wenger has told his scouting staff to find him the next Jamie Vardy as his team prepare to face Leicester’s goal-scoring sensation.

And Arsenal manager Wenger has boosted those chances by prising away from the King Power Stadium Ben Wrigglesworth – the man who played a part in unearthing striker Vardy and Leicester’s other bargain-basement star Riyad Mahrez.

Striker Vardy cost just £1million from Fleetwood after their final season as a non-League side – while midfielder Mahrez was a £400,000 buy from Le Havre in the French second-tier.

Boss Wenger admires the Leicester recruitment policy – and moved to sign Wrigglesworth to bolster his scouting network.

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Wenger, who has also drafted in former Millwall talent-spotter Jay Lefevre, has ordered the team to scour the lower leagues in England and Europe to unearth diamonds like Vardy and Mahrez.

An Arsenal source said: “What is the point in watching the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona? You don’t need a scout to tell you Karim Benzema is a class player.”

It is a throwback to Wenger’s early days at Arsenal, when he was first to tap into the French market. That enabled him to bring in the likes of Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit and make them household names – and World Cup winners.

Wenger said: “We try to get the best people in every department and the Leicester scout was on our list, not just because they are top of the league but because we heard about his quality and we want the best.”

Wrigglesworth was also the man who spotted N’Golo Kante — a £ 5.6m signing from French side Caen who has proved a major asset in Leicester’s rise to the top of the Premier League table.

Asked ahead of Leicester's visit to the Emirates on Sunday if he is looking for another Vardy, Wenger added: “Yes, of course.

“If a scout comes to convince me that this is a player of exceptional quality at that level I will take a gamble. They are out there — stars in non-League.”

Wenger is aware of the drive and ambition of players in the lower reaches – and contrasted their lifestyle to that of the cosseted young players at Premier League clubs.

“The hunger index is sometimes built by the difficulty of realising your dream and are developed by that,” he said.