33 games in, and Leicester City are having a nightmare season. Despite having a plethora of exciting talent, they have huffed and puffed their way to near relegation. However, in a sea of disappointment, James Maddison has been their beacon of light.
Leicester City have looked to Maddison as he stepped up to be their creator-in-chief. The former Norwich City attacking midfielder has nine goals and seven assists in the Premier League from 25 games. He has played a part in more than 33% of all Leicester City’s goals in the Premier League.
However, he is approaching the end of his contract next season. Recent reports now suggest that Maddison will be sold in the summer, regardless of Leicester’s fate, as the Foxes try to cash in on a player who would leave on a free in a year otherwise.
James Maddison’s availability has set alarm bells ringing amongst the PL elite. A quality English attacker on a potentially cut-price fee is a dream scenario. Here are the top three candidates for a James Maddison transfer in the summer-
Newcastle United
Newcastle United are no longer in the land of frugality post the takeover. Vast sums have been spent on Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes. Furthermore, they will probably have Champions League football to offer to prospective signings next season.
Newcastle’s interest in James Maddison goes further back than this summer. The Toons lack a creative spark in midfield in the absence of Bruno. Moreover, Eddie Howe has looked keen on creating a solid core of English players at the club.
In James Maddison, they would tick a lot of these boxes. His set-piece prowess would be a boon for their towering centre-backs, especially Sven Botman. Maddison’s creativity will lessen the burden on Bruno and help unlock another level to Isak and Callum Wilson’s game.
In addition, his affordable fee would be a smart addition to a side that still needs more top players at other positions to compete amongst the elite. A sound deal all around.
Tottenham Hotspur
When talking about a hot English talent on the market, one can’t rule out Spurs. Tottenham has become a breeding ground for talented English players since Mauricio Pochettino’s time at the club yielded Kyle Walker, Dele Alli, Danny Rose, Harry Kane, and more.
Although that conveyor belt of development has slowed since then, Tottenham’s impending reset means Maddison would come into the team which is somewhat of a clean slate.
Harry Kane has shouldered both, the creative and goalscoring burden for this Spurs side this season. Heung-min Son has fallen short of his usual standards while Dejan Kulusevski has only shown his talent in spurts.
Moreover, if Harry Kane’s departure becomes a reality, James Maddison would instantly shoot to near the top of Spurs’ transfer priorities.
Manchester United
A creative midfielder is not a top priority for the Red Devils this summer. However, at the right price, this could be a deal too good to pass up.
Of the three clubs mentioned here, Maddison’s priority might well be Manchester United. The club, on the other hand, needs to strengthen other positions first. However, it would be remiss to not track Maddison. Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes have been overplayed this season and the drop-off in quality when they rest is huge.
Erik Ten Hag has stressed the importance of squad rotation this season but his hands have been tied. Whenever he has rotated his key players, performance levels have tanked. In Maddison, he would have a proven PL contributor. It is the type of signing Manchester City that Manchester City have made a habit of securing.
A young, proven player who adds depth to the squad, while adding quality to the first XI.