Tottenham Hotspur are favourites to complete the signing of Leicester City midfielder James Maddison in the summer transfer window, according to Football 365.
The online news portal claims Spurs have been handed a boost in the race to sign Maddison and are in pole position to get their man ahead of Manchester City and Newcastle United – who are also interested in signing the former Norwich City ace.
Antonio Conte wants to strengthen his midfield options at the end of the season to provide competition to the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Yves Bissouma.
Maddison has been identified as an ideal fit by Conte following his impressive displays for Leicester since joining them from Norwich in 2018. He has become a fan favourite at the King Power Stadium, racking up over 150 appearances across all competitions and making 91 goal contributions in the process.
He was one of the standout players for the Foxes as they defeated Chelsea to clinch the 2021 Emirates FA Cup at Wembley. This term, the England international has featured in 19 games, scored nine goals, and registered five assists in all competitions.
Maddison was linked with a move to Newcastle United last summer and they had at least two bids of up to £50m rejected by Leicester – who were not willing to sell their prized asset.
Reinforcement
Maddison, who is valued at around £49m by Transfermarkt, has 18 months left on his current contract with Leicester, and the club are determined to tie him down to a new contract. However, they will be forced to sell if no progress can be made, according to Football 365.
The online news portal says Tottenham will be able to compete with Newcastle and Man City in terms of big-money transfer fees and potential wage demands, and finishing in the top four could help them secure a deal.
Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers wants to keep Maddison at the club but also claims that they won’t be begging for any player to stay.
“It’s a conversation we’ve been having with James’ representatives for a while so there’s no change in that, not that I’m aware of,” the former Liverpool manager told a press conference last week.
“For me, it’s about making sure that, despite whatever the situation is, that James is playing at the best level he can be.
“Thankfully as a player he’s got experience now, he’s very focused on purely doing his best for us and staying available and fit.
“He’s a top player in the league and he’s shown that in his time here, gradually from when he’s come in to the position he’s in now, you can see that development take place.
“I think that’s the type of club we are – we’ll develop players, we’ll improve players, we can give them great conditions to work in – but I won’t be begging for a player to stay.
“This is a great club, there’s great support here on the pitch, off the pitch and if you’ve been here a while you understand what the club is all about and where it wants to go.
“But a player’s career is short, they always have to think of the future, but as long as that concentration and focus is here whilst they are here then that’s all I ever ask.
“Of course I’ll speak openly with players and regularly with them, so I understand what they’re thinking and then we just progress from there.”
Tottenham are expected to spend big in the summer as they look to build a squad capable of competing for trophies, and Maddison would be an excellent addition to the club if they could win the race for his signature.
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