A club-record second bid of more than £40 million has been made by Newcastle for Leicester’s James Maddison, with the Magpies seeking to conclude a deal this week.
Following last week’s rejection of a structured package for £35 million, sources believe the second bid is in the region of £40 million or more.
However, it still falls far short of Leicester’s £60 million asking price, and a compromise must be made if the move is to go through.
As a result of FFP constraints this summer, Newcastle will have to package any deal for Maddison with the promise of future payments and add-ons. A player swap may yet be in the works.
The Coventry-born midfielder is famous as a free-kick specialist, often scores outstanding goals. He is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Leicester City.
Maddison was capped by England national team, under-21 level from 2017 to 2019, and only played once for the senior team in 2019.
James Maddison Career and achievements
Before joining Leicester City, Maddison started his career with Coventry City’s academy, his hometown club, making his first appearance in 2014 in a League Cup defeat to Cardiff City, before coming to the limelight in the Football League.
James Maddison joined Norwich City in 2016. However, he spent the 2016–17 season on loan, moving to the Scottish Premiership club, Aberdeen. In his first season back at Norwich, Maddison was named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year and EFL Team of the Season.
On his return to Norwich in 2017, Maddison nets his debut against Preston North End. Maddison played a major role throughout the rest of 2017/18 as the Norwich finished eighth position in the second tier.
He concluded the season at Norwich City with fifteen goals and eight assists, earning him a call-up in the England Under-21 national team in 2017, which led to him making his Young Lions debut against Ukraine in November 2017. That excellent form he put up in the Championship made Leicester show interest in his talents and Claude Puel secured his services to join the club in 2018.
Maddison signed for Premier League club Leicester City on the 20th of June 2018, on a five-year contract for an undisclosed payment rumored to be around £20 million.
On joining the club, he has made notable and outstanding contributions.
He scored his first goal for the club in the Premier League on 18 August 2018, in a 2–0 victory in a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He later added up his impressive start for the club with back-to-back Premier League goals, from set-pieces, against AFC Bournemouth and Huddersfield Town, respectively.
He further extended his stay at the club on 29 July 2020, after he agreed a new four-year contract with Leicester.
The Coventry-born midfielder is renowned for his outstanding free-kick wits, often scoring extraordinary goals for the Foxes, while his hard-working nature has also established him as a favourite among the Blue Army.
He has made over 170 appearances for the Club, winning the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield. Maddison scored a curler outside the box in a 5–2 victory against Manchester City in the league which was later voted as Premier League Goal of the Month on September 27, 2020.
James Maddison’s injury
Upon joining Leicester City in 2018, Maddison had so far, had thirteen injury records from 2018- 2022. His first injury in City forced him out of performance for 19 days before his recovery.
His injury problem has reduced his playing performance and time for the club as he sustained a long hip injury twice in 20/21 league season for the periods of 72 days and 50 days respectively, causing him to miss 15 games.
However, despite his injury, Maddison’s form skyrocketed with 18 goals. He also became the first Foxes player to register 10+ goals and 10+ assists in a single campaign since Riyad Mahrez, earning him the 2021/22 Player of the Season award.
