Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race to sign Leicester City midfielder James Maddison in the summer transfer window, according to Telegraph.
The newspaper claims the Foxes will demand around £50m for the England international with the midfielder expected to leave the King Power Stadium at the end of the season.
Maddison has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since joining Leicester from Norwich City in 2018. He has become an influential figure in the Leicester first team, racking up 194 appearances, scoring 54 goals, and providing 38 appearances in all competitions.
The 26-year-old put up a Man of the Match display for Leicester as they secured a 1-0 win over Chelsea to clinch the 2021 Emirates FA Cup at Wembley. This season, the highly-rated midfielder has nine goals and six assists in 23 matches across all competitions as the Foxes continue their fight to escape relegation.
Leicester City languish 19th in the Premier League table with 25 points, just two points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest with 11 matches left to play.
Maddison has captained the side at times this season in the absence of captain Jonny Evans and vice-captain Youri Tielemans, and has led by example by churning out consistent performances to help his struggling club.
Reinforcement
According to Telegraph, Leicester and Maddison are yet to agree on a new deal, meaning he could be available on a free contract in the 2024 summer transfer window if no fresh terms are agreed.
Newcastle United had at least two bids of up to £50m rejected last summer, according to the Mirror. It is believed that the resurgent Magpies are still interested in signing the Englishman and could make a bid again in the summer.
However, Tottenham are in the market for a No. 10 to complement the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Yves Bissouma and have identified Maddison as an ideal fit for the club.
The midfielder is attracting interest from several Premier League rivals and foreign clubs, however, Tottenham are favourites to complete the deal and would have to act fast to prevent a bidding war.
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