#2 Vardy and Mahrez would still leave
A massive handicap on Leicester's stellar success last term was that their best players attracted attention from elsewhere, meaning Leicester needed to tie down new deals with, specifically, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy.
The latter demanded £100,000 to stay put with the Foxes which they paid out. However, they also inserted clauses into Vardy’s contract and a host of other players' contracts when boosting their wages.
The clause claims that Leicester are entitled to cut the wages of their players significantly should the club get relegated to the championship, with the biggest reduction thought to be around the 40% mark.
Imagine if that applied to Mahrez - the Algerian see his wages reduced to £40,000 per week. Even with the Champions League prize money, it's unlikely the club would still be able to afford the existing wage structure and so Vardy and Mahrez would most likely face significant pay cuts. That's the first contributing factor to why the pair would head for the exit door.
The second factor meanwhile is that they may feel they have already demonstrated loyalty by staying at the King Power for another season and now need a move that suits their careers.
Vardy is ageing and would need a club with Premier League status to maintain his place in the England squad, whilst Mahrez has attracted attention from the likes of Barcelona in the past. Not only that but each of them would undoubtedly soar in value and demand further if they navigated Leicester towards a Champions League crown, so there'd be a host of clubs ready to submit bids.
The Champions League may be a tremendous trophy but it doesn't go much beyond that and the relegation would play more of a role in the long-term future of the club and its players.
