Leicester willing to listen to offers for England midfielder James Maddison following relegation; Newcastle and Tottenham interested; Maddison has been at King Power Stadium since moving from Norwich in 2018; Eddie Howe's side attempted to sign him in January
Monday 12 June 2023 06:12, UK
Newcastle are currently leading Tottenham in the race to sign Leicester's James Maddison.
Both clubs are interested in signing the attacking midfielder, who has only a year left on his contract, this summer.
Newcastle's interest stems back to the January transfer window, when Leicester were unwilling to sell the 26-year-old.
But following relegation, the Foxes will now listen to offers.
Newcastle are able to offer him Champions League football over Spurs, who are also long-term admirers.
However, Tottenham may formalise their interest following the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as head coach.
Postecoglou and Spurs are now in the process of making decisions on how to improve the squad this summer and which players will stay or leave to facilitate desired change.
Maddison is one of several Leicester players expected to depart, a list which also includes winger Harvey Barnes.
Sky Sports' Nick Wright:
Maddison's reputation is untarnished despite Leicester's relegation. In a difficult season for the club, he still managed 10 goals and nine assists in Premier League games alone.
It was a continuation of his outstanding body of work at the King Power Stadium. Over the course of five seasons, he has established himself as one of the Premier League's best attacking midfielders.
His status among the elite is evident in the statistics. Since his arrival at Leicester from Norwich in 2018, only two players - Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold - have created more chances in the Premier League, while only three - Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane and Heung Min-Son - have had more shots on goal.
Maddison also ranks in the top eight for assists and big chances created. With 43 goals in that period, only 18 players have scored more.
The numbers add up to show why he is in such high demand. It would be no surprise to see more suitors emerge in the weeks ahead.
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