Al Wakrah SC stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar - November 16, 2022. England's James Maddison during the press conference.
Newcastle United will need to ‘break their wage structure’ to sign Leicester City midfielder James Maddison in January, according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie.
The Lowdown: Third time lucky?
The Premier League playmaker is over in Qatar having been named in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad to represent England at the World Cup, though there is still plenty of noise surrounding his future at the King Power.
The Magpies placed two bids for the 25-year-old worth up to £50m over the summer, but these were both rejected as they didn’t meet the Foxes’ £60m valuation.
The Three Lions star, however, has now entered the final 18 months of his contract, and it’s believed that the northeast outfit are contemplating making a third offer in the winter market.
The Latest: Downie’s comments
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Downie insisted that Newcastle would have to present Maddison with a better salary than he’s currently on at Leicester should they want to land him. He said:
“What Newcastle would have to do for James Maddison is break their wage structure.
“Obviously, he’s going to be wanting significantly more than he’s on at Leicester with his contract running down. It’s just whether Newcastle are willing to go to that number.”
The Verdict: Exciting addition
Maddison has been dubbed a ‘super talent’ by Danny Murphy, and given his impressive record in the final third, bringing him to St. James’ Park in the New Year should be a no-brainer.
The Coventry-born talent already has 11 goal contributions to his name in 13 league appearances this season and is a versatile player with the ability to operate in four different positions (Transfermarkt).
Newcastle are currently in the top four, but Maddison’s potential arrival in 2023 could be the difference as to whether Eddie Howe’s side qualify for the Champions League at the end of the campaign.
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