Newcastle United

Newcastle United

Premier League • England

Postecoglou furious as Newcastle leapfrog Tottenham in race for world-class target; £40m bid required

Leicester attacker James Maddison

Newcastle United are leading Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, according to reports. 

The England international has just one year remaining on his contract with the Foxes, who have been relegated to the Championship.

As it stands, Maddison’s departure from the King Power seems inevitable. And, it would be a major coup for Newcastle if they sign him this summer.

As previously reported by TEAMtalk, both Tottenham and Newcastle hold a firm interest in signing the 26-year-old. 

However, according to Sky Sports Newsthe Magpies are now the favourites to bring in Maddison. Their interest dates back to January, when they saw an initial attempt to sign the Englishman knocked back.

But, Leicester are now ‘willing to listen to offers’ for Maddison after their relegation. Newcastle are able to offer Maddison Champions League football, unlike Spurs, who failed to qualify for any European competition.

Indeed, Eddie Howe has admitted that he wants to bring in some ‘elite’ players ahead of next season. So, it will be interesting to see if they do win the battle for Maddison.

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Newcastle to capitalise on Leicester exodus

Despite the fact Newcastle are reportedly ‘leading the race’ for Maddison, Sky Sports add that Tottenham could still sign him this summer.

Their report notes that Spurs could ‘formalise their interest’ in the attacking midfielder now that Ange Postecoglou has been appointed as their new manager.

Even though Leicester were relegated this season, Maddison still put in some admirable performances. Overall, in 30 Premier League appearances for the Foxes, he scored 10 goals, as well as making nine assists.

Leicester had previously put a £60m price tag on Maddison. But, after being relegated, they will now accept a bid in the region of £40m.

Interestingly, he won’t be the only high-profile player to leave Leicester this summer. Indeed, Youri Tielemans has joined Aston Villa on a free transfer after his contract came to an end.

Harvey Barnes is also expected to depart the King Power, along with Timothy Castagne. So, the Foxes starting XI will look very different next season.

What’s almost certain, though, is that Maddison will be back in the Premier League next season. And, at the moment, Newcastle looks like his next destination.

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