By Sports Reporter

ENGLISH Premier League side Leicester City have reportedly joined the chase for in-form Zimbabwe international striker Macauley Bonne, who has been dubbed the next Jamie Vardy following his goal scoring exploits for non-league side Leyton Orient.

The in-demand 23-year-old has scored 17 goals already for the National League leaders this season and is being tipped to emulate Vardy by becoming the latest non-league striker to star higher up the English football.

The 23-year-old’s form is also said to have alerted the Foxes’ Premier League rivals, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Huddersfield Town, along with Championship quintet, Nottingham Forest, Norwich City, Sheffield United, Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers.

And British tabloid, The Sun, claims Bonne is valued in the region £500,000 by Orient, who according to their manager Justin Edinburgh, have no need to sell.

Bonne, who was born in Ipswich but has two caps for Zimbabwe, signed a new two-year contract extension with the London side at the start of this season.

But the prospect of a move up at least three divisions could appeal to the National League top scorer.

English Championship clubs Norwich, Stoke, Nottingham Forest, QPR and Sheffield United all have Bonne on their radar too.

The Ipswich-born forward scored 25 goals last season after joining Orient from Colchester.

That’s the same number of goals as Vardy netted in his first campaign in non-league football with Halifax in 2011.

Bonne is currently joint top scorer in the National League, level with Salford’s big-money forward Adam Rooney.

His performances in England have caught the eye of Warriors coach Sunday Chidzambwa amid reports that he is close to regularising his travel documents so he can be available for selection in the last Africa Cup of nations qualifiers against Congo Brazzaville.