Journalist, Pete O’Rourke has given his verdict on Newcastle United’s January pursuit of James Maddison, speaking exclusively to This Is Futbol.
90Min has reported recently that the Leicester City man is a top priority for the Magpies. Newcastle had an interest in the midfielder last summer, but the Foxes rejected two bids, the second being in the region of £50 million according to Sky Sports.
The 26-year-old joined Leicester back in 2018 from Norwich City, costing them £20 million.
O’Rouke claims that Maddison will find the possibility of moving to Tyneside, ‘excting’. This is due to the progression of the club in the last 12 months.
He stated, “Obviously, Newcastle tried to sign him in the summer. That interest hasn’t gone away, they still really liked James Maddison. I think the player himself has probably seen the progress that Newcastle have made in the last 12 months under Eddie Howe. And it’s something that will be exciting to him.”
TIF’s view on O’Rourke’s comments…
We believe that Maddison would be a top signing for the Magpies. He’s been a real shining light for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season.
The Englishman has 11 goal contributions from 13 Premier League games. On Sofascore, Maddison has the highest average rating of any Leicester player so far in the league.
However, the Foxes’ have had some financial issues in recent times. Perhaps, they make look to cash in on their star play to generate more money for the club.
If he were to join the Magpies, Newcastle could play the 26-year-old in a number of positions. He usually operates as an attacking midfielder, but can also play out wide. This would give the manager, Eddie Howe a couple of different ways to fit him into his starting XI.
However, Howe will have to think carefully as he won’t want to disrupt a squad that is performing exceptionally well. Newcastle sit third in the league and boast the joint-best defensive record, alongside the current leaders, Arsenal.