Newcastle target James Maddison is ‘up there’ with Foden and Grealish

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Newcastle United transfer target James Maddison is just as good as Phil Foden and other England stars.

That is the view of Brendan Rodgers, who believes Maddison is ‘right up there’ with the players he is competing with to be in Gareth Southgate’s England starting XI.

Maddison started for the Three Lions for the first ever time on Sunday, playing on the left of the front three during the 2-0 win over Ukraine. The 26-year-old was very impressive, and received praise from Jude Bellingham after the game.

Newcastle will also have been impressed with the midfielder, who they are hoping to sign this summer. He is Eddie Howe’s top target, and it is reported that Maddison is intrigued by a possible move to St James’ Park.

The hope is that the Leicester star can add goals and assists to Newcastle’s midfield, and Rodgers believes he is as good as anyone in England in that department.

James Maddison ‘right up there’ with England’s best

Leicester are back in Premier League action this weekend, as they prepare to face Crystal Palace.

Ahead of the game, Rodgers spoke to the media and was asked how Maddison compares to England’s other attackers.

“He’s right up there with those players,” he said.

“All he can do is create goals and score goals. That’s his job. That’s what he gets paid for. If you look at his numbers over the last couple of seasons, he’s proven that he’s right up there.

“England are very blessed. They have a lot of very gifted players and top attacking talents. But he’s certainly in the mix with all of those.”

Something different for Newcastle

Rodgers wants people to look at Maddison’s numbers, and they hold up against the likes of Phil Foden, who is one of the forwards Maddison is competing with.

Foden currently has 19 goal contributions from 36 games this season. In comparison, Maddison has 15 goal contributions from 22 games. While he has less, he averages more goal contributions per game than Foden.

The Newcastle target is well ahead of Grealish, another creative player in Southgate’s England ranks. He has 10 goal contributions from 36 appearances.

The figures above justify Rodgers’ claim about Maddison, and prove exactly why Newcastle want to sign him. He can add something different to Eddie Howe’s midfield, while he also has the ability to play off of either flank.

Maddison is a goal threat wherever he plays, and the Magpies are desperate to snap him up this summer after failing in the previous two transfer windows.