According to Ben Jacobs, Newcastle are now prepared to pay above market value to sign James Maddison from Premier League rivals Leicester.
Newcastle set to resurrect Maddison pursuit
Well, the Magpies tried to sign the England international over the summer, with Jacobs claiming that Newcastle found themselves roughly £15m below Leicester’s asking price.
Newcastle decided against making further offers, but after Maddison’s superb start to the campaign, they are now prepared to spend heavily on his services.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs said: “The valuation was, as I understand it, 10 or 15 million under Leicester’s at the point when they made the bid last window, but they’re one to watch still to see if they reignite that interest and are prepared to pay above valuation for a player with huge potential.”
It comes after the Leicester No.10 impressively scored six goals in his first 11 games of the Premier League season, while also providing two assists.
The Foxes currently find themselves in the relegation zone, which makes Maddison’s efforts even more outstanding given the fact those around him are struggling – Brendan Rodgers may have lost his job without the Newcastle target’s heroics.
Newcastle face competition for Maddison
Unsurprisingly, Newcastle are not the only side interested in Maddison.
Another journalist in Pete O’Rourke told Give Me Sport that Tottenham are keen to sign the 25-year-old, with Daniel Levy ready to spend as he aims to convince Antonio Conte to sign a new contract.
According to Inter Live, Spurs are prepared to hand the Italian almost £200m to spend on new signings.
Of course, if Tottenham manage to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League, that would surely put them in the driving seat for Maddison’s signature in January.
Therefore, Newcastle will hope that the north Londoners slip up against Marseille tonight, which could see Spurs drop into the Europa League if other results go against them.
Keep an eye on this situation, as we expect bids for Maddison to be submitted after the World Cup is over.
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