Newcastle, Manchester City and Tottenham set for three-way summer battle for Leicester star man | OneFootball

Newcastle United will face competition from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City for Leicester City star James Maddison this summer, according to reports.

The Magpies have been targeting the England international for some time, offering £50m for him last summer. The bid was rejected, however, with the Foxes keen to hold out for £60m.

Given Maddison’s contract at the King Power Stadium is set to expire in 2024, it has been suggested that he would be available for a relatively low transfer fee at the end of the season.

However, with multiple top Premier League clubs in the race for his signature, there could still end up being a bidding war and thus a high price for the midfielder’s services.

This is according to Football Insider, who claim that Newcastle, Spurs and City are set to battle it out for Maddison, with Leicester willing to cash in.

They suggest that the Foxes would be looking for a fee between £60m and £70m for their player – even higher than the bid they demanded last summer, despite his contract situation.

Along with Newcastle, it’s no secret that Tottenham have been heavily interested in signing Maddison this summer, while Arsenal were also thought to be in the race, until they were ruled out earlier this month.

Manchester City, on the other hand, would represent the best chance for the Englishman to win trophies, but he would probably get less playing time at the Etihad than he would like.

It’s unsurprising to see so many top clubs interested in Maddison, considering he has consistently shown what a top player he can be in the Premier League.

Since joining Leicester in 2018, the 26-year-old has scored an impressive 54 goals and has made 37 assists in 190 appearances across all competitions, giving him an average of 0.48 goal contributions per game.

Maddison has played a key part in Leicetser’s recent success, too, helping his side to two fifth-place finishes in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons respectively, as well as an FA Cup victory in 2021.

The Englishman is versatile, too, with the ability to play as a central, attacking or left midfielder, so he could provide cover in multiple positions for Newcastle, Spurs or City.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers admitted recently that he “won’t be begging for any player to stay” this summer, so it seems inevitable Maddison will leave. The only question is, where will he go?

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Newcastle and Tottenham are currently battling it out for Champions League football next season with both sides in with a chance of finishing in the top four.

Spurs are currently fourth, but the Magpies are just one point behind them with a game in hand. With that in mind, Maddison’s decision could come down to who finishes higher in the table between those two.

Manchester City, in contrast, with almost certainly be finishing in the top four and are still very much in the title race. Therefore, he could opt to go there, but only if he is willing to accept less playing time.

If all three clubs meet Leicester’s supposed asking price of £70m, it will be very interesting to see where Maddison chooses to go.

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