Leicester City found the bids Newcastle United offered for the transfer of midfielder James Maddison to be ‘verging on the offensive’, as the Foxes rejected interest from Eddie Howe.
Leicester found Newcastle interest in James Maddison transfer ‘offensive’
Leicester City are holding firm in their refusal to sell Brendan Rodgers’ star players, such as James Maddison, Youri Tielemans or Wesley Fofana, on the cheap over the summer. That’s according to Sky Sports, who note Foxes chiefs were taken aback by the Toon’s proposals.
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Newcastle United have sought a deal with the King Power Stadium natives for Maddison in the summer sales. Magpies boss Eddie Howe appreciates what the England international is capable of producing, but would have to substantially increase his side’s bid for a transfer.
So shocked were Leicester by the sums that Newcastle presented as Toon chiefs advanced Howe’s interest in Maddison they found the bids to be ‘verging on the offensive’. Reports by The Telegraph in late July noted the Foxes had rejected their opening offer worth £40m.
Newcastle later improved their proposal to £45m with payment spread across a number of instalments, per The Telegraph. But Leicester had put a £60m price tag on the 25-year-old, per Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, while The Guardian put him as one of Howe’s key targets.
James Maddison form will not make it any easier for Eddie Howe
Newcastle will, clearly, have to substantially increase their bid if Howe returns to Leicester to revisit his interest in Maddison. Which iNews report may be on the cards, with Magpies chiefs weighing up a third offer for the playmaker Jack Stephens has called ‘phenomenal’.
The Foxes will want to see the Toon bridge the £15m gap in valuations by some margin for a deal. Especially with Maddison starting the new Premier League season with an assist in the King Power outfit’s 2-2 draw with Brentford on the opening day of their term last Sunday.
It took Maddison until his 13th appearance of the Premier League season last term to offer his first assist. He laid on two in a 4-2 win over Watford in November, and went on to end the campaign with eight. The midfielder also scored 12 goals over his 35 top-flight outings.
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