Journalist Aaron Stokes has lauded Newcastle United target James Maddison as a one-of-a-kind player and amongst the best in the Premier League, claiming it would ‘huge’ to bring him in this winter.
Newcastle are long-term admirers of Maddison, who they almost prised over to Tyneside in the summer, only to be knocked back by a reported asking price of around £50m.
But the Magpies look set to reignite their interest in the January window, with Maddison thought to be a viable target should Leicester City lower their demands.
It all finally seems to be coming together for Maddison on the pitch and a deal is certainly there to be done in January, with ChronicleLive previously reporting that Newcastle teammates Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson and Nick Pope were attempting to entice the 26-year-old to join them in the north-east by selling the exciting project going on at St James’ Park to him.
Speaking on The Everything is Black and White Podcast, Stokes praised Maddison’s development over the past few months and even joked about the potential of him making his debut in a potentially poignant way.
He said: “Maddison this season just seems to have gone to another level, and you can see why so many teams including Newcastle were after him in the summer, because there’s not many No 10s in the league that do it better than Maddison.
“So a huge boost for Newcastle if he’s out on Boxing Day, and it would be a huge boost for Newcastle if he’s playing his first game for Newcastle against Leicester in the Carabao Cup next month.”
TIF Thoughts on Stokes’ comments…
We think Maddison would be a fantastic signing for Newcastle considering that his form this season is arguably good enough to see him earn a place in any side in the Premier League.
The 26-year-old has scored seven times and assisted four in just 13 Premier League games for a Foxes side who picked up just one point from their opening seven games, while he ranks seventh in the league for both goals and assists.
A step up is bound to happen, and at £50m, we think he’d be completely worth the fee, as he is able to operate from the right, behind the striker, or even from a deeper playmaking role, so he’d give Eddie Howe incredible versatility as well as a killer final product that has put him amongst the elite this season.