Tottenham Hotspurs in ‘advanced talks’ to sign James Maddison
By Story Agencies, June 27, 2023Tottenham are in advanced talks with Leicester City over the signing of midfielder James Maddison.
Sky Sports News there is “cautious optimism” a deal can be struck.
One source has claimed there is a small gap in valuation, which is being worked on, and personal terms are not expected to be a problem.
Newcastle were also interested in signing Maddison, who had only a year left on his Leicester contract, but the north east club has since turned its focus to AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali.
Bolstering Tottenham’s midfield options is a top priority ahead of Ange Postecoglou’s first season in charge.
Spurs have already completed a £17.2m deal for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario this summer, while Dejan Kulusevski has had his loan move from Juventus made permanent.
Maddison’s reputation is untarnished despite Leicester’s relegation. In a difficult season for the club, he still managed 10 goals and nine assists in Premier League games alone.
It was a continuation of his outstanding body of work at the King Power Stadium. Over the course of five seasons, he has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best attacking midfielders.
His status among the elite is evident in the statistics. Since his arrival at Leicester from Norwich in 2018, only two players – Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold – have created more chances in the Premier League, while only three – Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane and Heung Min-Son – have had more shots on goal.
Maddison also ranks in the top eight for assists and big chances created. With 43 goals in that period, only 18 players have scored more.
The numbers add up to show why he was in such high demand.