Tottenham sign James Maddison on five-year deal from Leicester for £40m; Newcastle were also interested in Maddison, who had a year left on his Leicester contract; Leicester were unwilling to sell him in January, but following relegation to Championship have decided to cash in
Thursday 29 June 2023 13:11, UK
England midfielder James Maddison has completed his £40m move to Tottenham from relegated Leicester, signing a five-year contract in north London.
The 26-year-old becomes Spurs' third signing of the summer, joining Dejan Kulusevski and Guglielmo Vicario at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of next season.
Newcastle had also been interested in signing Maddison, who had only a year left on his Leicester contract, but the north east club have instead turned their focus to AC Milan's Sandro Tonali.
Bolstering Tottenham's midfield options has been a top priority ahead of Ange Postecoglou's first season in charge.
Maddison joins the club after five years at the King Power Stadium, where he played 203 games and scored 55 goals. He won the FA Cup and Community Shield while at Leicester, and netted 10 Premier League goals for the club in his final season despite their relegation.
Maddison wore the No 10 shirt for the Foxes, but that is already taken by Harry Kane at Tottenham and the new arrival has not yet been assigned a number.
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 was in such high demand.
Who will be on the move this summer ahead of the transfer window closing at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
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