Newcastle ‘believed’ they could sign £60m star at St James’ Park

Newcastle United were falsely ‘led to believe’ a deal could be struck with Leicester City for the services of James Maddison during the summer transfer window, with the situation becoming ‘messy’ at St James’ Park, according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie.

The Magpies splashed over £120 million bolstering Eddie Howe’s squad but missed out on one of their top targets.

What is the latest on Maddison?

Newcastle pushed hard to sign the 25-year-old following the end of last season and saw multiple bids rejected for his services, according to the Guardian, the latter of which reached £50 million.

But Leicester were determined to stick to their asking price of £60 million and ultimately clung onto the man who scored 18 goals for them last term.

Brendan Rodgers revealed last month that the Foxes would enter talks with Maddison over extending his deal in the East Midlands, which is currently set to expire in 2024.

However, a report from Football Insider has hinted that they have not progressed and stated that Newcastle will now launch another move for the one-cap England international in the January transfer window.

Having previously been described as ‘world class’ by Gareth Southgate, it is easy to see why he continues to attract attention.

What has Downie said on the situation?

Downie believes that Newcastle were led down a dead end regarding the chase for Maddison during the summer.

The Sky Sports reporter has hinted that Leicester were never going to be willing to sell the star, leading the entire saga to become a bit of a mess.

Downie told GIVEMESPORT: “I just felt Newcastle were led to believe they could have got him for a certain amount of money. But it wasn’t the case. It ended up being a little bit messy that one.”

Who arrived at St James’ Park before the deadline?

While Howe may have missed out on Maddison, a big new signing did still arrive in the North East.

A record-breaking £63 million fee was splashed on Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak as the 22-year-old made his move in August.

Meanwhile, Nick Pope was brought in from relegated Burnley for just £10 million and centre-back Sven Botman signed from Lille on a £35 million deal.

Matt Targett made his loan move permanent, too, in order to bolster Howe’s left-back options while Loris Karius signed as a free agent after Martin Dubravka left for Manchester United.

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