Journalist Dean Jones has warned that signing James Maddison in January will be anything but straightforward due to his current side’s predicament.
The 25-year-old has scored twice and provided one assist in five appearances so far this season but with just one point, Leicester City are currently bottom of the Premier League table.
Maddison was approached by Newcastle in the summerm with the Magpies making multiple offers.
However, their advances came short of the Foxes’ £60m asking price and no such deal transpired.
Not to be deterred, it has now been reported that PIF will once again lobby for the former Norwich playmaker’s services in January, making him their priority in the winter window.
Jones has reinforced those claims but is wary that Leicester’s current position could thwart any attempts of a transfer during the season.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT he said: “They’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it, but Leicester’s situation will determine whether he becomes available.
“It’s hard to imagine that they’re going to let anyone leave halfway through a season when they’re fighting for their Premier League status.
“They’ve already had players ripped out and they’re struggling to bounce back from that.”
Adding a creative midfielder appeared to become the main objective for Eddie Howe before the summer transfer deadline passed and, having scored 18 goals and produced a further 12 assists last term, Maddison would have been an exceptional addition.
Former Toon midfielder Lee Clark has previously hailed his quality in the final third as “terrific” and the one-cap England international could significantly bolster the manager’s attacking options.
He has been directly involved in 51 goals in the top flight and has also been attracting interest from both Arsenal and Tottenham.
However, negotiations could prove a significant handful come January and it will be interesting to see whether or not Dan Ashworth can persuade Maddison’s current employers in the east Midlands to part company with their player of the year from last season.
