‘Top of the list’: Newcastle will try again for James Maddison this summer – Romano

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Last year it was Sven Botman, this year it’s James Maddison as the name that is almost synonymous with the term “Newcastle United transfer target”. Now transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano has issued an update on the lengthy saga.

Fabrizio Romano believes Maddison is Newcastle’s top target

Speaking on the House Of Champions podcast, Romano listed off a few positions that Newcastle will be looking to strengthen without offering up any names as potential targets. He expects the club to look for a left-back and a winger in the summer, but when it came to a creative midfielder there was a player that Romano fully expects Newcastle to be back in for come summer.

“There is a player they really love who is James Maddison who is doing very well with Leicester.” said Romano. “He is a player they always had on top of their list and I am sure they will try again before the summer. I don’t know how much competition there will be because this kind of player is always on the list of big clubs, but Newcastle will be there.”

James Maddison has been on Newcastle’s radar for a while now after failing to land him in the summer with a £50m bid. The interest was still there in January and seeing how well he’d bonded with Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope on World Cup duty with England it looked practically nailed-on. However, nothing happened and Newcastle brought in Anthony Gordon from Everton for £45m.

Maddison v Almiron

After returning from Qatar, Maddison spent a few games on the sidelines with an injury which some Newcastle fans were hoping was his way of avoiding playing Newcastle in the Carabao Cup quarter-final in a bid to keep himself from being cup tied in that competition should he get his move.

However, no such gamesmanship was afoot and Maddison was genuinely injured, but since his return he has picked up where he left off earning praise from his manager, Brendan Rodgers who called him “brilliant” after he made his 150th Leicester appearance.

This season, Maddison’s blistering form has seen him bag nine goals and pick up five assists in just 17 appearances for The Foxes compared to Newcastle’s top scorer, Miguel Almiron who has managed 10 goals but only one assist in 22 Premier League games.