Leicester City sent scouts to watch Benfica’s 2-1 Champions League qualifier victory over PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night with Noni Madueke in action, as reported by O Jogo.
Unfortunately for the Foxes, they didn’t exactly catch the much-coveted England U21 international on a good day.
Madueke has begun the 2021/22 campaign like a runaway train, scoring five goals in his first six games of the season, including a long-range wonder-goal against Danish giants Midtjylland and two in the 4-0 Johan Cruyff Shield thrashing of bitter rivals Ajax.
But as PSV failed to make their dominance count during a midweek defeat in the Portuguese capital, restricted to just one goal by the in-form Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, Madueke was unusually ineffective.
Although one rather quiet display will not stop the clamour surrounding a 19-year-old whizz-kid quickly outgrowing the relatively small pond that is the Dutch top flight.
Is ex-Spurs starlet Noni Madueke returning to the Premier League?
According to O Jogo, scouts working on behalf of Leicester, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Roma and Atalanta were in attendance at the Estadio da Luz.
And it is no stretch to suggest that Leicester were there to see Madueke strut his stuff in the flesh.
The former Tottenham Hotspur starlet was the only player on show to have been linked with a move to the King Power Stadium this summer.
Tottenham, meanwhile, would jump at the chance to bring their former U16 captain back to North London, even if a player who left the club on a free transfer two years ago would cost a cool £20 million these days.
“Madueke can really become very good. He is a very special player. His qualities resemble Kylian Mbappe – drive, speed and scoring ability. The top clubs are all crazy about him,” said Gerald Vanenburg, who won a European Cup with PSV in the 1980s.
Vanenburg believes Madueke should stay for one more season at the Phillips Stadium, however, highlighting the struggles of two former PSV stars in England.
“(Madueke) must give himself time and stay at PSV for a few years. Memphis Depay and Steven Bergwijn must be examples for him.
“Depay left too early and failed at Manchester United, Bergwijn has a hard time at Tottenham Hotspur. If (Madueke) has patience and continues to develop at PSV, the top of European football is reserved for him.”
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