Newcastle have identified Leicester City’s James Maddison as the top target for January according to The Northern Echo. The 25-year-old will have just 18 months left on his contract when the winter window opens.
The Magpies tried to land the playmaker over the summer but had two bids rejected. The second bid was reportedly around £40m, though it is understood to have been heavily structured.
Leicester have limped out of the gate to start the new campaign with just 1 point. They sit at the bottom of the league table having lost the last five on the trot. Maddison has contributed 2 goals and 1 assist in his five league appearances.
Eddie Howe was hopeful of adding another midfielder with Jonjo Shelvey sidelined until November with a hamstring injury. Maddison’s teammate Youri Tielemans, Ajax’s Edson Alvarez, and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher were also on the shortlist.
Ultimately, those efforts came up short and the injury to Bruno Guimaraes has limited Howe’s options in recent weeks. Though, Elliot Anderson has been given an opportunity over that span and has not disappointed.
Premier League pundit and former England striker Ian Wright recently claimed that Maddison wanted the move to Newcastle. If true, he remained professional and didn’t try to force the situation like his teammate Wesley Fofana, who joined Chelsea late in the window.
If Leicester’s situation doesn’t improve soon, manager Brendan Rodgers’ job could be in jeopardy. Incidentally, Chelsea have fired Thomas Tuchel this morning after a 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
Leicester is facing an exodus with a number of stars on contracts that expire over the next two seasons. Tielemans is in the final year of his deal and Leicester were open to allowing him to leave for £25m in the summer.
Another potential summer target to watch this winter is Leeds’ Jack Harrison. Newcastle had bids in the £20m range rejected for the 25-year-old, who has struggled in recent weeks.
Harrison will have just 18 months left on his contract in January and was pulled at halftime in Leeds’ 5-2 loss at Brentford over the weekend. Like Maddison, Harrison reportedly was keen on joining Newcastle this summer.
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204 comments so far
THENORTHEASTENDER
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:38 PM
Comment #1Can see him coming if Leicester don’t improve… would love him though… him ,big Jo and Bruno would be great
theartfuldodger
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:41 PM
Comment #2I am getting the feeling that in order to keep a positive vibe and atmosphere, we are not being told the complete truth about the injuries and return of Bruno, ASM, and Wilson
WLtoon
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:41 PM
Comment #3Can see Maddison here too, the waiting game is the plan, get him in on a lower fee, no way will he be worth 60m with just a year let on his contract.
At 33/1 i think Frank to Chelsea looks very tempting.
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:42 PM
Comment #4THENORTHEASTENDER,
I think we’ll stick to our guns on the valuation mind.
cyprus
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:45 PM
Comment #5So, if someone offered me ten times my current salary, what would I do? Lemme think 🙂
Anyway who cares.
Did you see the mitro goal and performance? Championship player that 😉
On the game, we do need the points. We been robbed and all that, but there’s no asterisk at the table. Four points out of a possible fifteen isn’t pleasant reading.
Let’s not forget. Most, if not all teams, are pretty competitive. My first aim, as always, is 40 points.
From there, anything more is a bonus. Champions league too!
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:45 PM
Comment #6WLtoon,
Aye, Jun 30, 2024 it expires and I doubt very much he’s signing a new one, he might decide to wait it out for a free but hopefully we’ll get him.
geordie157
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:45 PM
Comment #7If Leicester continue to struggle it will be interesting to see what they do come Jan, will they cash in Maddison and will they cash in on Tielemans or let him run his contract down as they may need him.
I’d love us to go and sign both of them in Jan but the competition for both will be high.
Not sure who from the so called big 6 would go for Maddison though, they all have a few players who play in his position. So that might give us a decent chance of getting him.
Tielemans however, I can see Arsenal and Utd being interested in him.
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:46 PM
Comment #8Seven out of eighteen isn’t so bad though cyprus.
cyprus
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:47 PM
Comment #9Raj
Took me a minute to figure out what you were saying in greek the other day 🙂
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:48 PM
Comment #10geordie157,
We don’t say Utd on here mate, it’s Man U 😳
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:48 PM
Comment #11cyprus,
Poly kala, my spelling isn’t very good 😕
cyprus
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:51 PM
Comment #12On the points thing, we’re headed for finishing with 43.33 points, on current position. I’ll take that (especially the ,33), but hoping for more, tbh.
Small World
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:52 PM
Comment #13geordie157: “Who’s that team we call United?……”
cyprus
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:52 PM
Comment #14It’s fine
cyprus
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:52 PM
Comment #15See you folks later.
THENORTHEASTENDER
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:53 PM
Comment #16Raj
I agree… maybes 45 mil offer max in January would be too good to turn down, think he would jump at the chance to join us …
And artfuldodger…I agree on that aswel , first it was not a real injury at all for Bruno and max , and even after 2 weeks and a full weeks rest they are still touch and go….. fi gers crossed they are back for sunday … if not we will struggle 🙁
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:53 PM
Comment #17cyprus,
As I said earlier, we’ve a much kinder run of fixtures coming up and players returning, we’ll break 50 pints quite easily this year.
WLtoon
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:53 PM
Comment #18I know its just another article and it could be BS but its saying that Maddison is our main target in Jan, makes sense tbh, as long as , like you say we still with our valuation on him, i doubt very much though he will cost the 60M quoted in the last window.
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:54 PM
Comment #19I might break fifty pints next week after this run mind 😀
ToonDarnSarf
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:55 PM
Comment #20Leicester will need to cut their cloth accordingly and rebuild I think. May as well get rid of the big name players and get as much money as possible for them because they’re not going to be happy and they’re not going to sign new contracts. They need to buy some solid pros and promising young players so they can try to stay in the Premier League and rebuild over a period of time. Wouldn’t surprise me if they do get relegated in the next few seasons if they keep sliding down without rebuilding. They’ve still got some very good players but how long will they stick around?
jimiley
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:56 PM
Comment #21Raj
It’s actually Manure with capital M.
Maddison is much better than Tielemanns. Why did we not sign him this window? Waiting for the camel with the cash. I mean if we have the money in Jan then why not in August? This mistake (Maddison or Paqueta) of omitting to sign either will cost us Europe this season
WLtoon
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:58 PM
Comment #22We finished on 49 pts last season after an horrific first half of the season so if we finished on only a point more this season i would be disappointed.
I can`t exactly remember my predictions but i think i had us down for at least 59 pts this season, 50 would be underwhelming
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 12:59 PM
Comment #23jimiley,
Why are you constantly moaning about the club. Do you not like us, what is the problem here, who said Europe was a goal this season?
Adamn_92
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:01 PM
Comment #24Well the Potter links seems to be picking up speed rather quickly, saying Brighton have allowed Chelsea to talk to him.
Maddison looks really unhappy at the moment. At the end of the Brighton match he was just sat on the floor slumped over looking miserable. I know they just lost badly, but looked like more than just unhappy at the result. His performances haven’t been great this season so far either, like his head is turned.
Saying that though no Leicester player looks like their heart is in at the moment.
THENORTHEASTENDER
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:02 PM
Comment #25I’m going for 61 points this season , we’ve had some shocking decisions and a few injuries early on… once we are back to our strongest 11 we will go on a winning run…. anyway… anyone else think VAR is going to be interesting for this Sundays game ? No pressure on the ref and var eh lol
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:03 PM
Comment #26Adamn_92,
I just seen that on SSN, I feel for Brighton mind, I’d like to see him stay the season.
jimiley
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:03 PM
Comment #27Raj
Re Europe
Some people thought it was possible and some not.
I cannot give you names as you don’t know them
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:07 PM
Comment #28jimiley,
Why can’t you just enjoy what’s happening at the club right now, honestly, you’ve had nothing good to say about us since the transfer window opened and now closed, I understood it when Ashley is here, is it really good for your health if the club makes you so unhappy?
Raj of Hailsley
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:07 PM
Comment #29*was here
Adamn_92
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:08 PM
Comment #30Raj
Yeah i’d feel for Brighton a bit, been building something really impressive under Potter. You fear that with him leaving that progress could halt and actually go backwards over time.
On Europe this season, I think it’s fair enough to dream about it and think we can do it, as we can. But think it’s unrealistic and unlikely given our squad depth at this point in time and that everyone we have to beat to Europe places, has also strengthened.
Anyone think if we had European games next season it could be a detriment anyway? Would we have enough quality in squad depth next season to compete both domestically and in Europe? It’s going to take a few windows to get real quality in depth to compete well in both competitions.
THENORTHEASTENDER
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:10 PM
Comment #31IMO I wouldn’t expect or really want Europe this season, steady growth… I said 7-9th at the start of the season , and I stick with it… we need to improve depth and quality to be in Europe… them midweek games can be a killer …. even rotating the squad don’t help 100% because of the travelling etc…. after years of Ashley and the tripe we had to watch , shocking transfer windows etc…. the only way is up… one step at a time 🙂
Adamn_92
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:11 PM
Comment #32THENORTHEASTENDER
Great minds and all that 😀
WLtoon
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:14 PM
Comment #33jimiley,
It`s obvious your expectations were higher than mine, i would be happy with 8th tbh, slow improvement .
The higher your expectations. the harder you fall if they fail, you could be in for a disappointing season in your case
THENORTHEASTENDER
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:15 PM
Comment #34Adamn_92
Totally…. I mean come on… this time last year look where we were… im actually enjoying watching us again … and I believe in the plan the owners have… we need about 3 more windows to upgrade and improve…. I have a bet with a mate who is a Liverpool fan that we will challenge them in 3 years…so 6 windows… and I really think we will… id save a push for Europe till next season 100%
jimiley
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:19 PM
Comment #35How come Brighton get access to Potter who is under contract.? Big bucks I imagine
WLtoon
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:20 PM
Comment #36You mean Chelsea jim?
jimiley
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:22 PM
Comment #37Wltoon
It’s not going to be disappointing. I am a realist. We needed to sign a couple more players for Europe. We didn’t do it’ so 7 to 10.
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:22 PM
Comment #38Poncho to Chelsea via Spurs is like Toon taking on an ex Makem manager. Oh!!!!!
theartfuldodger
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:22 PM
Comment #39Tough on Brighton to lose both Ashworth and Potter (if he goes to Chelsea) in quick succession. They were one of the clubs with a system and plan. For us, it will weaken one of our rivals
The Taco Taker
Sep 7, 2022 at 1:22 PM
Comment #40I always thought Europe would be pushing it this season, possible but unlikely.
I don’t agree that having European football next year could be detrimental though, it would be ideal, European football would:
– increase our revenue directly in numerous ways
– increase our exposure
– make us more attractive to signings
– makes us more attractive to sponsors and commercial partners and allow the club to demand more money from such agreements (especially useful when our shirt sponsorship is up for grabs in the summer)
– keep existing ambitious players happy that we are in the right path
– give us an additional possibility to win a trophy (a long shot at this stage I admit)
and that is not to mention the pleasure of having European games again!
Sure, with the current squad we would struggle with 4 competitions but if we did qualify for Europe then the current squad will for sure be significantly upgraded during next summer.