Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers is braced for another approach for James Maddison in January. Newcastle United failed with two attempts to sign the highly-rated 25-year-old in the summer.
The second bid - understood to be slightly north of £40million - was laughed off by Rodgers, with the Foxes boss suggesting the fee offered would not buy “three quarters” of Maddison's left leg. Despite constant speculation, the midfielder has continued to excel in a dysfunctional Leicester side this season.
Five goals and two assists in 2022-23 has triggered debate nationwide about whether Gareth Southgate should take him to the World Cup next month. A match-winning performance against Nottingham Forest on Monday saw Maddison - who has 18 months left on his current deal - score two superb goals to lift Leicester from the foot of the table.
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Since the start of last season, Harry Kane is the only English player to have more goal contributions than the Foxes’ talisman. Rodgers accepts that clubs will show interest in his star asset once the January transfer window opens.
“I would think (there would be interest),” the Leicester boss told reporters. “My job is to coach him every day and make him the best he can be. It's only natural you want your absolute best players to be here, and we keep saying that, but we keep losing them. He's never a player you would want to lose.
“The beauty of James, and it's the same with this England scenario, is that it hasn't affected him. That's where you see the level of maturity. What we've seen in the past is, sadly, players are linked with all sorts of clubs because an agent has to create a market, and then when it doesn't come off, you see the player disappointed.
“It's never been like that and James has been linked with loads of clubs. But he's a realist. He also knows he's in a good place to develop and learn, and he knows he can focus on day-to-day life and improve. What will be in the future will be, but it will only be on the back of playing well.”
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