Newcastle United have tabled a bid for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, transfer insider Dean Jones has confirmed to GiveMeSport.
What’s the latest news involving James Maddison?
News emerged on Saturday morning that the Magpies had made a £40m bid for the England international, only to see it rejected by the East Midlands outfit.
It’s claimed by The Telegraph, who reported on the ill-fated offer, that Leicester need to sell players this summer due to Financial Fair Play issues, as well as the fact Brendan Rodgers is currently overseeing an inflated squad.
That would explain why Leicester are yet to make any first-team signings during the transfer window.
However, with the Foxes rebuffing the approach for Maddison, he may be viewed as simply too indispensable to sell this summer.
Nonetheless, Newcastle are said to be weighing up whether they should make an improved bid for Maddison.
What has Dean Jones said about Newcastle’s bid for James Maddison?
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones confirmed Newcastle’s offer and revealed they’re hoping to take advantage of Leicester’s financial difficulties.
He said: “The story about Newcastle’s bid for Maddison is right, they are trying to take advantage of the situation at Leicester with finances. I knew they would try to sign a midfielder but this is a step up from the level I thought they would go for.”
Should Newcastle make an improved offer for Maddison?
Sky Sports have reported that Leicester value Maddison at closer to £60m, so it seems Newcastle would need to increase their offer by around 50% to tempt their Premier League rivals into selling.
That would make Maddison Newcastle’s new club-record signing but there’s no doubting his pedigree at Premier League level. The former Norwich man boasts 33 goals and 25 assists from 133 top flight outings and last season brought his best return of 12 strikes and eight setups.
After making smart signings in January to secure the Magpies’ Premier League status – chiefly the likes of Dan Burn and Matt Targett – Newcastle need more additions that can take them to the next level.
Summer arrival Sven Botman probably falls into that category, but Maddison would give them improved quality at the sharp end of the pitch.
£60m is a lot of money, however at the age of 25 Maddison does offer some natural resale value, while the potential is there for him to further improve.
Perhaps the Toon can meet Leicester somewhere in the middle and agree on a deal at around £50m. That would only be £5m above Maddison’s market value, according to Transfermarkt.
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