Newcastle United and Tottenham target James Maddison told Wednesday’s press conference at Al-Wakrah that he has been studying Manchester United superstar Bruno Fernandes in an attempt to improve his numbers in the final third.
Maddison, 25, has earned a place in England’s World Cup squad. One of a few contentious decisions along with Ben White, Callum Wilson, Conor Gallagher and Kalvin Phillips – Maddison will be hoping to build on his one England cap.
His inclusion comes after 30 goal involvements in 53 games last season – scoring 18, creating 12. This season, he has seven goals and four assists in 14 games. Such form has attracted interest from Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur.
Other clubs, too. Give Me Sport claim both clubs are keen, for a player rated at £60m. A move could happen in January for Maddison, but for now, his focus will be on the World Cup. He was the first to give a presser, after England landed.
“A couple of seasons ago, when I wasn’t in the England squad, Bruno Fernandes was playing very well for Manchester United and putting up ridiculous numbers in terms of goals and assists,” Maddison said, as per the Evening Standard.
“So I probably watched him a bit closer at that time. ‘How is he scoring so many goals? What runs is he making that I’m not?’. If that makes me a student of the game, then that’s what I am,” the Leicester man continued on Wednesday.
Newcastle and Tottenham target Maddison studying Fernandes
Clearly, it is something that has worked. Prior to the start of last season, Maddison had scored just 27 goals and laid on 20 assists in 118 games for Leicester. In the 67 games since then, Maddison has scored 25 and created another 16.
The upturn in form has been immense. He has gone from an excellent player, to one of the best attacking midfielders in Premier League football. In terms of players in form in the England squad right now, he is right at the top.
It is fair to say Maddison and Fernandes share a lot of similarities. Whether he can show the longevity that Fernandes continues to show throughout his career, is another question. A move to Newcastle or Tottenham may help do that.
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