From English Premier League and FA Cup winners to being relegated from the English Premier League. It has really been a sensational rise and fall story for Leicester City.
Despite beating West Ham United 2-1 in their final game of the season, Leicester were condemned to the second tier of English football thanks to Everton’s 1-0 victory against Bournemouth at Goodison Park.
Inevitably, the conversation has turned to who will now leave Leicester as the club looks to adjust to life outside of the top flight.
The player whose future is on many people’s lips is England’s James Maddison. And The Mirror are reporting that Arsenal are eyeing up a move for the highly talented attacking midfield player. According to the paper, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Arsenal are among the clubs eyeing up the England midfielder and he who could go for around £40m because he only has a year left on his current contract.
We all know that Declan Rice is Arsenal’s number one target for the midfield in the summer. But Maddison could prove an intriguing signing. With Granit Xhaka seemingly on his way out of the club, Maddison could be brought in to strengthen the squad depth at the disposal of Mikel Arteta.
James Maddison is a target for Arsenal this summer. [Image Credit: Getty Images]
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Arsenal have been very fortunate this season in that Martin Odegaard hasn’t suffered any major injuries. If he did, there isn’t an immediate successor to replace him. Emile Smith-Rowe is the closest player to Odegaard in the squad currently, but he’s been linked with the likes of Aston Villa and isn’t seemingly part of manager Arteta’s immediate thoughts moving forward.
Bringing in a player of the calibre of James Maddison, therefore, seems to make sense. An English homegrown player who has performed at a high level in the English Premier League over the past few seasons and at a price that is reasonable in today’s market is what Maddison brings to the table. And that could mean that Arsenal test Leicester’s resolve over how much they value Maddison.
Arsenal’s biggest challenge may be fighting off Newcastle United. Even before Leicester’s relegation was confirmed, Maddison was linked heavily with The Magpies. With UEFA Champions League football confirmed to return to St James’ Park next season and being bankrolled by Saudi, Newcastle could prove to be a formidable opponent when it comes to the transfer of Maddison for Arsenal.
NEXT ARTICLE: David Ornstein reveals all of Arsenal’s transfer plans for the upcoming transfer window.
