Tottenham, Newcastle set for all-out war over dazzling Leicester man as expert predicts potential winner
Tottenham and Newcastle United are preparing to go head-to-head for a Leicester City player next summer and an insider has given his verdict on how the transfer chase may go.
Leicester had a shocking start to the Premier League campaign, picking up just one win in their opening eight matches. That was a 4-0 rout over East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest.
Brendan Rodgers came under intense pressure during the poor run but luckily for the manager that win against Forest seems to have kickstarted Leicester’s season.
They lost the next match to Bournemouth but have responded by picking up seven points from their last three outings. That includes consecutive victories over Leeds United and Wolves.
Leicester have got themselves out of the relegation zone and now occupy 17th place. Things are tight at the bottom though and they are just two points ahead of the bottom three.
The Foxes will have to be at the top of their game if they are to pick anything up against Manchester City this weekend. One player who could make a huge impact is attacking midfielder James Maddison.
He has been Leicester’s standout player this term, registering six goals and two assists in 11 matches. That includes a well-taken goal in the 4-0 win over Wolves last time out.
Maddison’s big motivation is to make the England squad for the World Cup, which explains why he has been so prolific in the final third. He is desperate to win Gareth Southgate over and add to his sole England cap.
Leicester ace wanted by two Prem rivals
But the Englishman’s top displays for Leicester have also led to another situation – he is picking up serious transfer interest from other Prem sides.
Newcastle made two bids for Maddison in the summer window and will launch a third offer in January, as per Football Insider.
But they are readying themselves for all-out war as Tottenham are also preparing to act on their long-standing interest in the 25-year-old by submitting a bid of their own.
Former Tottenham right-back Alan Hutton thinks Maddison is the final piece of the puzzle for Antonio Conte to make Spurs a success.
Spurs and Newcastle’s respective pursuits of Maddison could get costly. Leicester have put his valuation at £60million, though this could rise if a bidding war starts.
James Maddison on Tottenham radar, says reporter
CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs, who is an expert on Leicester, has given his take on the situation.
He suggests Spurs will win the race for Maddison due to the ‘big appeal’ of Champions League football. This is something Newcastle cannot offer right now, though this may change in the future.
“Tottenham have had Maddison on their radar,” Jacobs said during an interview with GiveMeSport. “Come next summer, they might be the kind of club, if they get back-to-back seasons of Champions League football, that’s a big appeal to James Maddison.
“But there’s far more than just those two, as you would expect given his current form.
“There’s lots of clubs in the Premier League in particular really looking very seriously at James Maddison because he’s proving week on week what he can offer to a top club.”
Maddison will be facing a big decision come the end of the season. He has a great relationship with the Leicester fans and could stay at the King Power.
Alternatively, the playmaker might push for a transfer to complete the next step in his career. After all, he has proved he has the ability to make it at a ‘Big Six’ club like Spurs. It will be fascinating to see if Newcastle can pull off a coup and beat Spurs to his services.
