If Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth get their wish, Newcastle United will be signing James Maddison in January.
The Leicester City midfielder was the subject of interest from the Magpies during the summer. Howe’s side made two bids for him, but they were both knocked back by the Foxes.
Maddison instead remained at the King Power, where Brendan Rodgers’ team have endured a difficult start to the season.
Leicester are now up to 14th position after 14 games, but have spent large parts of the new campaign in the relegation zone.
But while the Foxes have struggled, Maddison has excelled. He has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season. The former Norwich City ace has scored six goals and provided four assists, boasting 10 goal contributions in 12 games. In the words of Gary Lineker, his numbers are ‘extraordinary‘.
It’s this kind of form that should take him to the World Cup with England, and it could also take him to Newcastle in January.
Newcastle keen on signing Maddison again
Going into the January transfer window, Newcastle have continued to be linked with signing Maddison. It was previously claimed that he is the club’s top target going into the beginning of 2023.
The Magpies’ desire to sign someone like Maddison may have increased in recent weeks too, with Howe’s side launching a push for European football. We are currently third in the league, and a big signing could push is even closer to playing on the continent next season.
Maddison certainly would be a big signing, and he’s a player that the manager and sporting director are keen to bring to the club.
According to the Telegraph, both Howe and Ashworth really like the Leicester City superstar. They add that the club’s scouting department have also determined that he is the type of player we need at St James’ Park.
With multiple key decision makers in agreement, that stars could be aligning for Maddison to become a Magpie. It all depends on how much Leicester want for him, and how much Newcastle are willing to spend.
We have already seen the new owners break the bank this season. Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan went big to sign Alexander Isak in the summer. It has been claimed that there is hope the PIF chief will be encouraged to do the same in January given Newcastle’s fine form.
While Newcastle are doing brilliantly this season, Maddison would certainly improve our squad. He is an exceptional footballer who can provide the golden touch in vital moments. As teams start to wise up to us, we will need to find other ways of breaking them down. That is what Maddison is brilliant at.
Howe and Ashworth love Maddison, and hopefully they can bring him to St James’ Park in January.