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Friday, March 29, 2024

Newcastle: Howe dealt Maddison blow

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Newcastle United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring James Maddison to St. James Park.

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Transfer Focus

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Manchester City have now joined the race for the Leicester City midfielder, with Pep Guardiola’s side lining up a potential move for the 26-year-old in the summer transfer window.

This is sure to come as a blow to Eddie Howe and Newcastle, as the Magpies saw two bids for the England international rejected last summer, with the North East side once again linked with a £60m move for the trickster this winter.

Howe must move

Considering just how impressive Maddison has been in an underperforming Leicester side so far this season, the argument that Howe must launch a late January move for the 26-year-old in order to beat City to the playmaker’s signing is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 14 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, the £34m-rated talent has been in astonishing attacking form, having already scored seven goals, registered four assists and created four big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.9 shots, making 2.2 key passes and completing 0.8 crosses per game.

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The £110k-per-week midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.8 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and winning 4.7 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per match, as well as enjoying an average of 55.4 touches, playing 2.2 long balls and completing 31.5 total passes – at a success rate of 84% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Brendan Rodgers dubbed both “unbelievable” and “immense” avaerge a simply breathtaking Sofascore statistical rating of 7.45, not only ranking him as the Foxes’ best performer in the league but also as the fifth-best player in the top flight of English football as a whole so far this season.

As such, with Maddison having more than proven that he very much is one of the best players currently plying their trade in the Premier League in 2022/23, should Howe wish to give himself the best possible chance of landing the £60m talent, the 45-year-old simply must launch a late move for the 26-year-old on Tuesday – or else he could well be a City player come the summer.

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