Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing a summer move for Leicester City’s 25-year-old attacking midfielder James Maddison.
Paul O’Keefe has dropped an intriguing claim regarding Tottenham Hotspur’s potential interest in Leicester City midfielder James Maddison. The insider revealed that Spurs have an interest in the 25-year-old English playmaker and are seriously considering making a move in the ongoing summer transfer window.
Since joining Leicester City from Norwich City in 2018, Maddison has gone from strength to strength. The 25-year-old has been one of the Premier League’s most productive playmakers outside the traditional big-six clubs over the last four seasons. To date, he has scored 45 goals and provided 32 assists in 171 appearances for the Foxes.
Last term, he had his best campaign personally, scoring 18 goals and providing 12 assists in all competitions. That was despite Leicester experiencing a woeful season by the high standards they have set in previous years, as they somehow managed to grasp an eight-placed finish thanks to a late surge, with Maddison playing a huge part in that and in their run to the UEFA Conference League semi-finals.
Maddison only has two years left on his contract at the King Power Stadium and has been linked with a move to Arsenal since last year. However, the Gunners seem to be more keen on his midfield partner, Youri Tielemans, with the English playmaker now on their rivals Tottenham’s radar.
Tottenham are making waves in the transfer market to back coach Antonio Conte and are closing in on their sixth major signing of the season, with Djed Spence set to be announced as the latest arrival. But Spurs have no intention of slowing down yet. They seem to be looking for a new creative midfielder and could raid the Foxes for star playmaker Maddison in the coming weeks.
While the north Londoners are well-stocked in the midfield department, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp, Yves Bissouma, and Rodrigo Bentancur are all either box-to-box or defensive midfielders and are not renowned for their attacking instincts. Antonio Conte is thus missing goals from midfield. Maddison, on the other hand, is known for his attacking output and playmaking skills.
Despite being widely regarded as a No. 10, Maddison displayed his versatility last term, excelling in multiple roles including right-midfielder, second striker, and even right forward. The 25-year-old is a very intelligent playmaker and works intricately in half-spaces to generate high-quality chances and shots.
His movement, ball control, and ability to pick out a pass make him almost unplayable when in full swing. His presence would also reduce the creative workload on Harry Kane, who would then have to focus only on finding the back of the net rather than dropping deep to knit-up plays. Not to mention his stylish free kicks and the threat he poses to opponents from set-piece situations.
Maddison ticks a lot of boxes as a creative midfielder, but he would not come cheap by any means, with the Foxes already expected to lose Tielemans. But with Tottenham showing some serious ambition this summer in their bid to break into the Premier League’s top-three, a move for the 25-year-old is not out of the question.
