Former Premier League striker Gabriel Agbonlahor believes that James Maddison will be looking to “push through a move”, amid previous links to Newcastle United.
The Magpies made two bids for the attacking midfielder in the summer, but their highest offer of around £50m fell short of his £60m valuation.
Maddison has scored 38 goals and provided 27 assists in 140 Premier League appearances for Leicester City, and The Northern Echo claims he will be Newcastle’s transfer priority again in January.
A further report from The Times has since suggested that the Tynesiders are hoping to attract the 25-year-old as they look to ‘add creativity to their team’, and Agbonlahor feels that the Foxes maestro will end up forcing through a deal.
When asked by Football Insider whether he thought Maddison would look for an exit next year, he said: “Maddison is probably looking at it now and thinking, ‘you know what, I’ve done very well for Leicester, but Leicester are going only one way and that’s backwards. I want to go forward in my career, I’m at the age where it’s time to go play for a club in Europe, the Champions League’.
“He’s good enough. If I’m Maddison, I’m definitely trying to push through a move because the club is not matching his aspirations.”
TIF Thoughts on Maddison and Newcastle…
Will Newcastle win the race for Maddison?Yes
No
|
Given that the £110k-per-week ace, who has been hailed as a ‘super talent’, sees his contract expire in the summer of 2024, Maddison could be available at a more appropriate price for the Toon as he enters his last 12 months at the end of the season, if not in January.
However, a recent report from Football Insider claimed that Maddison is thought to be “very keen” on a switch to Tottenham Hotspur and would ‘jump at the chance’ to join the north London club.
It comes after journalist Dean Jones claimed during the summer that the player – dubbed ‘superb’ by broadcaster Arlo White – was enamoured with the idea of a move to the capital, so it remains to be seen whether he can be lured to Tyneside.
Judging by Agbonlahor’s comments, Newcastle may not be hopeful of achieving that as they are not currently in Europe, but having previously bid for the player, you would imagine they could yet improve their offer to Leicester and potentially get themselves in the European mix by the time a move becomes possible again.