There are three Newcastle United players in England’s World Cup squad, but it would be four had the Magpies got their James Maddison wish over the summer.
Dan Ashworth made two offers to sign the Leicester City midfielder during the summer transfer window. However, both were rejected by the Foxes.
Maddison has since gone on to excel in a Leicester shirt, providing 11 goal contributions in the Premier League this season. That form won him a place in the England squad, and it is the reason why he remains a target for Newcastle.
It has previously been claimed that Newcastle will make a fresh move for the 25-year-old in January, with the Telegraph stating that Eddie Howe and Ashworth really like him. And given how well he has been playing, Maddison would be an exciting signing.
Of course, a deal would be very expensive which means it might not happen. Luckily we’ve got agent Wilson on the job for the next month.
Toon target Maddison chats to Wilson
Considering they are now in a camp together for a month, it is going to be impossible for Maddison to ignore the Newcastle players. With all the time he is set to spend with Wilson, Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope, the subject of moving to St James’ Park will surely come up.
And Wilson has already been seen speaking to the former Norwich City man.
Gareth Southgate and his team flew to Qatar on Tuesday morning, arriving on Tuesday night. And pictures have emerged of the group exiting the plane.
Trippier is second off behind captain Harry Kane, while Wilson can be seen chatting to Maddison.
Could he be trying his best to convince Maddison, who has previously been described as ‘outstanding‘, to push for a move to St James’ Park? Perhaps he is telling him how wonderful Howe is and why he would be such a good fit for the club. Or maybe the delights of living in the North East have come up in conversation…
Wilson and Maddison do have a history together, however. They both came through the ranks at Coventry City, and are from that part of the world. In fact, Maddison was first promoted to the senior team in Wilson’s final season with the Sky Blues.
They never got the chance to play together, so hopefully that will change if Newcastle decide to make a fresh move for Maddison. He would certainly be an exceptional addition to an already exciting squad.