Newcastle fail with £50m bid for Leicester midfielder James Maddison
Leicester have rejected Newcastle’s latest offer for James Maddison and are reluctant to sell the midfielder unless they receive a bid of about £60m. It is understood Newcastle’s second bid for Maddison, who has two years left on his deal, was £45m plus £5m in add-ons. Brendan Rodgers has said Leicester, who need to raise their transfer budget through sales, will not be exploited by Premier League rivals hoping to capitalise on their financial situation. Wesley Fofana is wanted by Chelsea, who intend to test Rodgers’ insistence that the 21-year-old centre-back is not for sale, and Newcastle’s attempts to increase their attacking options has seen them target Maddison and the England winger Harvey Barnes. There is scepticism whether Newcastle will be able to match Leicester’s asking price for either. Barnes is valued at £60m and Leicester, who expect Arsenal to move for the Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans, want a similar fee for Maddison. Maddison has proved an excellent buy for Leicester since joining them from Norwich in 2018 and scored 18 goals last season. Newcastle, who have signed Nick Pope, Sven Botman and Matt Targett, could switch their focus to a left-winger. They are interested in Maxwel Cornet, who is likely to leave Burnley after their relegation. The Ivorian, who is understood to have a £17.5m release clause, is also wanted by Everton and West Ham. It is believed West Ham, who are expected to fail in attempts to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic, would like Cornet on loan. Everton want the 25-year-old, who can play at left-back and as a striker, on a permanent deal.
Newcastle 'interested' in £100k-a-week Maddison alternative at St James' Park
Newcastle United hold an interest in Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley and could consider a bid if they fail in their pursuit of James Maddison this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. Eddie Howe is readying his side for the start of the Premier League season but some new faces could still arrive at St James’ Park before the September 1 deadline. What is the latest on the pursuit of Maddison? The Magpies submitted their first bid for the Leicester City ace over the weekend, with their £40 million offer swiftly rejected. However, as per Sky Sports, Newcastle have returned with a second offer closer to £50 million, although it remains some way short of the Foxes’ £60 million asking price. It has been a surprisingly quiet window for the North-East club so far this summer with just three new faces signing in the form of Sven Botman, Matt Targett and Nick Pope. Attacking and creative reinforcements appear to be next on the cards, however, and Maddison has emerged as a leading target. Fellow Leicester ace Harvey Barnes is also under consideration. But according to Jones, a new contender has emerged in case Newcastle are unable to land their top target in the form of Barkley. What has Jones said about the club’s transfer hunt? Jones understands that interest is growing in Ross Barkley at St James’ Park and it could be a target they turn to later in the window. Barkley has been strongly linked with a return to Everton this summer but the transfer insider adds his Goodison Park return may not materialise. Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “I have heard there is some interest from Newcastle in Ross Barkley, so maybe that is one they turn to later on if the James Maddison offers do not work out. Nothing has developed yet but it seems like there are stumbling blocks with him going back to Everton.” Would Barkley be a suitable alternative? Maddison would be a huge signing for Newcastle this summer and the sort of statement deal new owners dream of making. But it appears the £60 million asking price may be slightly too high for now. Nevertheless, targeting Barkley as an alternative seems like a strange move. While once upon a time the Everton academy graduate possessed similar traits to Maddison, there is no doubt his attacking edge has diminished in recent years. In 99 appearances for Chelsea he has scored just 12 goals and contributed 11 assists.
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