Brendan Rodgers says 'top talents' like James Maddison always attract attention from clubs
Wednesday 10 April 2019 15:26, UK
Brendan Rodgers said interest in Leicester's James Maddison from other teams would come as no surprise given the midfielder's fantastic talent.
The Englishman has had a superb season with the Foxes, scoring seven times and making six assists since his £22m arrival from Norwich in June 2018.
Speaking ahead of Leicester's game against Newcastle on Friday night, live on Sky Sports Premier League, Rodgers said Maddison is very happy at the King Power and fans can expect him to improve even more.
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"When they're top talents, they'll always create attention around them, but he's very happy here," said Rodgers. "It's his first season in the Premier League.
"He's been on a great journey as a young player, he's now arrived at a fantastic club where the way we work and the style in which we play will suit his game and his qualities.
"He will want to gain more experience in this league. He's a fantastic talent, he works very, very hard at his game, has a very good idea of football, but works very, very hard.
"He's been a joy to work with since I've come and there are still a lot of improvements he will make."
Another player Leicester may be fighting to keep this summer is Belgian Youri Tielemans, who is currently on loan from Monaco in a swap deal for Adrien Silva.
The 21-year-old has flourished since Rodgers arrived at the King Power Stadium, registering either an assist or a goal in every game under the Northern Irishman.
Rodgers said he was hopeful of making Tielemans a permanent signing and that discussions between the two clubs were probable.
"We're hopeful," Rodgers told Sky Sports News. "He's come here to play games, he wasn't playing so much at Monaco.
"He's a big talent, understands the game very, very well, got a good view of the game for a young player, and obviously most players love to play in the Premier League.
"The idea is to keep working well with him, I'm sure there will be a conversation between the two clubs, but of course he's a player we would like to keep."
Leicester's opponents on Friday, Newcastle, still have the lingering threat of relegation hovering over them, but do have a seven-point advantage over Cardiff.
Rodgers said patience would be the key to breaking down Rafa Benitez's side.
"Rafa is a top-class manager who organises his team exceptionally well," said Rodgers. "They play in a 5-4-1 structure when they haven't got the ball, so patience is going to be important, but with speed and creativity where we can.
"They don't give away many goals, so we know we're going to have to be patient and show quality throughout the game."
