Over the last few months, James Maddison has been linked with a big-money move to Newcastle United.
According to reports, James Maddison could still join Newcastle United before next week’s January transfer deadline, despite Leicester City having rejected at least one concrete bid for the 26-year signature. old’s The Magpies have been linked with Maddison for several months and are expected to bring him to St James’ Park this month as Eddie Howe looks to strengthen his squad ahead of the Premier League run-in.
Maddison has shown little sign of signing a new contract at the King Power Stadium in recent weeks, fueling speculation that he will leave in the near future in search of a new challenge. There are only a few days left for Newcastle to confirm their interest in the England playmaker, but the Tyneside club has every chance of completing a deal before the January transfer window closes.
According to Miguel Delaney, who wrote in his Independent column that Leicester could still sell Maddison before the end of the month. The Foxes have reportedly turned down every approach they have received in recent weeks, including at least one concrete bid from an unnamed club, though a last-minute exit cannot be ruled out.
Leicester is said to be willing to sell Maddison if the price is right, but any successful offer would have to be very high in order to sway their decision. Newcastle has been linked with the player for the longest time, but a bidding war could break out soon if the Magpies start the domino effect by submitting a firm offer in the coming days.
it would be hugely detrimental for Leicester to lose Maddison so late in the January window, with the Foxes likely to be desperate to keep him on their books in order to aid their hopes of securing Premier League survival at the end of the season. The former Norwich City man has chipped in with seven league goals and four assists since the beginning of the campaign but is seemingly hesitant to commit his future to Leicester, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2024 as things stand.
It also remains to be seen whether Newcastle would be able to afford a money-spinning move for Maddison as a result of their need to spend carefully in order to stay within Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits. Eddie Howe recently hinted that the Magpies will not be able to pay huge transfer fees for new players this month, which could pour cold water on their hopes of landing Maddison before the upcoming deadline.
“As a manager, I am always looking to improve the team,” said Howe. “I will never sit here and be content, I don’t think that is the right way to manage.
“My way to take the team to new heights is to improve through the training of the players we have. If we can’t get to a certain level, then we need to find that in the transfer market. In my position, you are keen to sign the best players you can but those players come at a premium.
“[Sven] Botman wasn’t cheap, Alex Isak wasn’t cheap. Those are players who can influence the starting XI. Do we have the finances for that? I do not know, that might impact our options. It is a considerable outlay the club has to find and with FFP, I’m not sure that’s available to us, you have to work within the guidelines of the club.
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