Arsenal have been eyeing a move for Leicester City playmaker James Maddison but according to the latest gossip, the Gunners might have to return empty-handed.
With Martin Odegaard not coming back, Mikel Arteta has been actively scouting for a new No 10 and the name of Maddison is at the top of the list.
“It was revealed to the Arsenal bell that one of the A/A+ players the club has been in contact with in recent months is James Maddison,” TheAFCBell had recently tweeted.
“Informed sources confirmed that the player is on the club’s list of goals, and it cannot be concluded that there is no future move by the club at some point in this window.
“The club’s interest in James Maddison is indisputable after confirmations we have received from respected and trusted sources.”
Will Arsenal miss out on James Maddison?
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano in a recent interview had claimed that it will require a crazy bid for Arsenal to be able to convince Leicester City to part ways with James Maddison.
“The truth is that the player is appreciated and that Arsenal are looking for a player in this position because they lost Martin Odegaard,” he said on the EyetoEye podcast.
“So they’re looking for a new number ten and Maddison is highly appreciated, this is true.
“From appreciating a player and signing a player, there is a lot to do. At the moment, I think it’s really, really complicated, because at the moment, because we’re in July and we have two months of market ahead, we have to see what happens in the next weeks.
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“But at the moment, Leicester are still convinced that the player is staying and they have no intention to sell him. They want a crazy bid and at the moment, Arsenal have not made any official bid.”
Now, as per the latest updates, the Foxes want £60 million for the sale of James Maddison this summer.
According to TransferMarkt, the 24-year-old is currently valued at £49.50 million and he still has three years left on his deal. So, Leicester are quoting a pretty sensible price for the England international.
But, the Gunners have just spent £50 million on Ben White and we don’t think they can afford to pay another £60 million for James Maddison – especially since they will not be playing in Europe next season.
A few sources are claiming that Arsenal have agreed on personal terms with the playmaker but we doubt if they will be able to match Leicester’s asking price.
Leicester City are one of the hardest negotiators in the market so they are not likely to offer a discount. This would mean that Arsenal will either have to dig deep into their pockets or they will have to find an alternative to James Maddison.
