Newcastle's Sandro Tonali signing gave Tottenham a boost in their pursuit of James Maddison.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is attempting to sign England international James Maddison after Leicester was relegated to the Championship last month.
Newcastle's interest in James Maddison has waned, increasing Tottenham's prospects of signing the England international.
Maddison, 26, is one of England's most exciting attacking players and is anticipated to depart Leicester following the club's relegation to the Championship. Last season, he had ten goals and nine assists in the Premier League.
Newcastle were dominating the fight for Maddison's signature but may find it difficult to match Leicester's £50 million asking price due to the impending arrival of AC Milan's Sandro Tonali. The Magpies are set to sign the 23-year-old midfielder to a six-year contract.
Tonali will cost Newcastle £60 million, which will put a major hole in their transfer budget. Despite having Saudi backing, the Magpies must still adhere to Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, forcing them to prioritize signing the defensive-minded Tonali.
Newcastle, according to Sky Sports News, will put their interest in Maddison on hold for the time being. They could re-enter the race for the England international later in the window if manager Eddie Howe can offload some players or Leicester lower their asking price.
Tottenham Hotspur could take advantage of Newcastle's hesitancy. After finishing eighth in the Premier League, Spurs cannot give Maddison European football, but a move to north London would keep him in the top tier and in contention for England selection.
Maddison's contract at Leicester expires in a year. The main question is whether Tottenham will pony up £50 million. Spurs are thought to have made an offer of £50 million to Leicester City for Maddison, although it was a combined deal with Harvey Barnes.
Leicester denied this, implying that Spurs do not value Maddison at £50 million. After signing him from Norwich for £20 million in June 2018, the Foxes will not want to lose him on the cheap. His worth has improved tremendously as a result of his performance at the King Power.
Maddison has 43 goals and 34 assists in 163 Premier League appearances. He was a member of Brendan Rodgers' Leicester side that won the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2021, and he has three senior caps for England.
During the recent international break, which began with last Friday's 4-0 triumph over Malta, Maddison was asked for an update on his future. "It's a pause and put the blinkers on and focus on the job at hand," the Leicester star told Channel 4.
"It was a challenging end to the season, but having a little bit of a break between the last game of the Premier League season and now, it was excellent to refocus on these games... Tonight is all I'm thinking about."
Tottenham did not qualify for Europe, but Newcastle did after placing fourth in the Premier League. This season, they will compete in the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
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