James Maddison would be desperate to join Newcastle after watching them demolish his Leicester City side, according to Tam McManus.
The England midfielder has been linked with a move to Tyneside, with Leicester rejecting multiple bids in the summer, and could even be on the move in January.
Newcastle were rampant on their return to Premier League action, putting three past Leicester at the King Power Stadium, and Maddison watched from the stands as he was sidelined with an injury.
Speaking to Football Insider, former Hibs striker Tam McManus claimed that watching the side interested in him destroy his current side will make Maddison want to join Eddie Howe’s team.
“Maddison must have had a horrible time watching that,” McManus stated.
“Newcastle were so good. When you are a player like him and you see a top team like Newcastle come in while you’re in a team that is struggling, you will wonder about if things could have been different.
“Leicester are struggling and Maddison is an outstanding player. I would think he is desperate to join Newcastle after watching that game.
“They play such good football and the sky really is the limit for them at the moment.”
TIF thoughts on Maddison and Newcastle…
With Newcastle flying in the Premier League, securing Maddison, who is listed as a similar player to Kevin De Bruyne (FBref.com), in January could give them an extra boost to secure a top-four finish or even challenge for the title.
The club have already made some high-profile signings in Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak, but stealing Maddison from a Premier League rival would arguably be the biggest statement of them all.
However, Howe may have to wait to see the diagnosis of Maddison’s injury, with a return date currently unknown, and the club may be better served waiting until the summer when he will only have a year left on his contract.