Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly opened talks with Leicester City to sign James Maddison as they look to steal a march on Newcastle United for the £55–60 million-rated England starlet.
According to 90min, Tottenham have jumped ahead of Newcastle United in the race to sign James Maddison this summer, and transfer talks have now been opened with the relegated Foxes.
Maddison’s ten goals and nine assists in 30 Premier League games last season were a rare bright spot in an otherwise dreadful season for Leicester City, who finished 18th in the Premier League standings and have been relegated to the Championship.
The Foxes are set to lose several stars this summer. Caglar Soyuncu and Youri Tielemans are already out of the door as free agents, while last season’s top goalscorer Harvey Barnes is closing in on a move to West Ham United.
Maddison is also set to secure a move away from the King Power Stadium, as he wants to stay in the Premier League, so he can push for a place in the Three Lions squad for Euro 2024. As such, he is not short of potential destinations, with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur both interested in landing the two-cap England star in the upcoming transfer window.
Newcastle, for one, are long-term admirers of Maddison, having previously submitted several offers in the region of £45 million, which were rejected last summer. The Magpies are expected to table another bid, but their valuation remains the same as they hope Leicester’s relegation will force them to reduce their demands for Maddison, who is in the final year of his contract.
However, Leicester, who are looking for a straight route back to the Premier League after suffering relegation, are asking for a hefty fee of around £55–60 million for him.
Tottenham have also been credited with a firm desire to land Maddison and have stepped up their pursuit in recent days, with newly-appointed boss Ange Postecoglou giving the green light to make a move for the Leicester City playmaker. Spurs have now made an approach for the midfielder.
Postecoglou’s first job this summer is to convince Harry Kane to stay put at the club amid Real Madrid interest. But regardless of what happens with the England skipper, the new Spurs manager will likely be backed as he looks to overhaul a squad that woefully underperformed last season.
Maddison is the dream signing for Tottenham. He brings creativity to the midfield that they have lacked since the departure of Christian Eriksen.
Newcastle will try to entice the 26-year-old to Tyneside with the prospect of Champions League football, but owing to financial fair play constraints, they are unlikely to be able to match Tottenham’s salary offer, even though Spurs will not be featuring in any European competitions next season.
It will be interesting to see who will win his heated transfer battle for Maddison, but Spurs are the front-runners as things stand.
