Newcastle United tried and failed to sign James Maddison last summer, and are now going to make a fresh move for the Leicester City midfielder.
Maddison is a long term target for Newcastle, with Dan Ashworth making two bids to sign the 26-year-old at the start of the season.
They were both turned down by Leicester, but it now looks like Maddison’s time at the King Power Stadium is coming to an end.
His contract expires in the summer of 2024, meaning that the Foxes are running out of time to cash in. And it looks like the Magpies are ready to swoop in.
Newcastle are going to bid for James Maddison very soon
According to the Telegraph, Newcastle are going to make a renewed bid for Maddison once the current season comes to an end.
That is likely to be irrelevant of whether or not Leicester survive, as the report states that the Foxes are resigned to selling the midfielder no matter what.
There have recently been claims that Tottenham Hotspur are the favourites to sign Maddison, but that is not putting Newcastle off a fresh attempt to land the England international. However, the Telegraph do add that United will only pursue a deal if the player is interested in a move to St James’ Park, rather than seeing it as a backup option.
This will not be the first time that Newcastle have gone back in for a player since the change of ownership. It happened with Sven Botman, who failed to arrive in January 2022 before a deal was agreed later that summer.
When the Toon recruitment team believe they have found the right player, they are willing to wait. And that is what they think Maddison is.
Toon officials really want Maddison
The Telegraph add that the Toon recruitment team are unanimous in their belief that he would be a good signing, all agreeing that he is the type of player that would improve an already impressive squad.
That is certainly the case, as Maddison has excelled in a struggling Leicester side this season. He has got 10 goals and nine assists, which is very impressive. He has that killer instinct in the final third that Newcastle are looking for – the ingenious ability to break down stubborn defences, which is something that Howe’s side will come up against more and more.
A fresh move for Maddison is on the horizon, but he will not be cheap. It has been claimed that Leicester want around £50million for him. That is a lot of money, but well within Newcastle’s summer budget, which could be as much as £150million.