Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are battling it out to sign James Maddison, who may have now made a decision about his future.
Speculation over a move away from Leicester City has massively intensified since the 2022/23 Premier League season came to an end, with Newcastle planning to make a move for the 26-year-old.
There has even been confidence that the Magpies can get a deal done for Maddison, who also appears to have the option of moving to Tottenham.
Pundit Danny Murphy has predicted that the England international might prefer to go to Spurs, and a new report has suggested that might actually be the case.
James Maddison would rather sign for Tottenham
According to the Northern Echo, Spurs are now the favourites to sign Maddison from Leicester this summer.
They report that the attacking midfielder’s first choice is to join the North London side over Newcastle, despite the Magpies’ involvement in the Champions League. In contrast, Tottenham will not play any European football next season.
But the Northern Echo believe that Tottenham is his preferred destination due to family and personal reasons. Maddison is originally from Coventry, which is around two hours from London. In contrast, Newcastle is more than five hours away from the capital.
Money could also be a decisive factor, with the Northern Echo stating that Ange Postecoglu’s side will be able to offer a better wage package than Newcastle.
Of course, it has previously been reported that the Magpies are the favourites to sign Maddison, so plenty of fans will be wary and sceptical of this report.
But if it is true that Maddison would rather join a London club then expect Newcastle to walk away immediately. If a player is not 100% committed then he is not the right signing for Eddie Howe.
Even if Tottenham fail to agree a deal, it is hard to envision Newcastle acting as Maddison’s sloppy seconds. You either want to be here or you don’t.
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