Leicester now want £20m ace as Newcastle intensify interest in star player

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Leicester City have reportedly reignited their interest in signing Jeremie Boga just days after reports emerged that Newcastle United have intensified their pursuit of Foxes’ star James Maddison.

According to the Daily Mail, the King Power Stadium side will once again look to sign Boga from Atalanta months after Leicester had a £20m bid rejected from the Serie A side for the Ivory Coast international, with the link coming after the Northern Echo reported that Maddison was Newcastle’s main transfer target for 2023.

With Boga a similar player to Maddison and capable of playing int he same position and role as the England international, it is quite reasonable to believe that Leicester are already planning to replace the Newcastle target with the 25-year-old winger.

As per the report, Atalanta are open to a sale in the January window, with the Bergamo-based giants keen to lower their wage bill and to bring in some extra revenue via the transfer market, meaning that Boga heading to Leicester now quite a likely deal in the coming weeks.

Indeed, Leicester reigniting their interest in Boga will be a major boost for Newcastle in their efforts to sign Maddison in January, with Eddie Howe seemingly eager to bring the 26-year-old Premier League star to the Magpies in 2023.

Moreover, with the Foxes now identifying a player who could replace Maddison, this could invite Newcastle the chance to get a deal over the line sooner than expected, especially with Leicester a club that prefers to sell before spending big on a player in the transfer market.

Newcastle signing Maddison earlier than planned is massive coup

Maddison has the potential to become one of the best players in the Premier League if given the platform to perform at the right club, which is exactly what Newcastle can provide for the England star. And the Toon managing to sign the playmaker sooner than intended could be massive for Howe’s side.

After all, it will allow Maddison to adapt to his new club with more time on the clock as well as to forge new relationships with his new teammates, something that could be key for Newcastle if they’re to qualify for Europe this season via the Premier League.