Newcastle United are in pole position to win the race for touted transfer target James Maddison after failing with a £50m bid for his signature one year ago.
What's the latest on James Maddison to Newcastle?
That's according to the ever-reliable Athletic, who claim that the 26-year-old attacking midfielder's future 'almost certainly' lies away from the King Power Stadium following Leicester's relegation from the Premier League this season.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are all vying for his services themselves but it is Eddie Howe's Magpies who are the frontrunners.
Due to the Foxes' current situation and Maddison having just one year left on his current deal, 'several intermedieries' have priced the England international at just £40m – which could be an absolute steal as Newcastle look to consolidate their newfound stature.
How would James Maddison perform for Newcastle?
Make no mistake, despite playing a central role in a relegated outfit, Maddison is a "world-class" – as praised by England manager Gareth Southgate – midfielder and he has maintained a commendable direct return this term.
While Leicester's defence floundered like a fish out of water, the offensive efforts still held some air of cohesion, with Harvey Barnes and Maddison notably impressing.
Maddison would score ten goals and supply nine assists from just 30 appearances, and there is a case to be made that had injury not plagued the £110k-per-week phenom across the remaining eight clashes, his side would have discovered the two additional points needed to preserve top-flight status.
The fact he did not certainly plays into the hands of his suitors and while there is a vested interest from numerous angles, Newcastle's lingering interest could persuade him to don black and white this summer, with the enticing proposition of injecting superlative creativity and flair into a burgeoning outfit with a ceiling too daunting to conceive.
While it's clear that the two-cap gem would enhance the Toon's offensive calibre, let's delve a little deeper into the intricacies of just how this "football nut" – as manager Dean Smith heralded Maddison – would affect an outfit already boasting success beyond measure, given that just 18 months ago the Magpies fretted over their own battle against the claws of relegation.
The arresting element to his game is the goals, thumped from range, deftly guided from close; his assists, whipped, curled, placed with the perfect clarity of an innate artist.
But Maddison has proved that he is the all-encompassing and tenacious star Howe needs to continue to keep the club's togetherness and resilience woven, embedded into the squad's chemistry, without seam.
As per FBref, the one-time Norwich City ace ranks among the top 17% of attacking midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of tackles per 90, while Sofascore illustrates his defensive work-rate by referencing his 1.7 tackles per game – in the Premier League this term – and his success in 57% of his contested ground duels – omnipresent in his work.
The "monster" – as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting – would enrich the hopes of his teammates' individual success, and while his work across the field will provide variegated members with increased fortunes, none may flourish with richer support than that of prolific talisman Callum Wilson.
The 31-year-old Englishman has been in scintillating goalscoring form this term – his best Premier League season on an individual level – and has plundered 18 goals from just 21 starts.
The £46k-per-week striker ranks among the top 4% of positional peers for rate of non-penalty goals and the top 8% for rate of assists per 90, and given Maddison's own prolific nature, the two could meld gloriously to wreak havoc on their foes.
Maddison will bolster the whole gamut at St. James's Park, and given the success that the outfit have found this year, it must be terrifying for rival opposition to consider the leaps and bounds that may still be made.