James Maddison may have just handed Arsenal a major Champions League boost. The midfielder was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium in the last summer transfer window, but a move never materialised.
Maddison could have been part of Mikel Arteta's squad to make an assault on the top four this season, but remained at Leicester City, who have struggled a little bit this season, albeit with numerous injuries hampering their hopes under Brendan Rodgers. Arsenal are fourth in the Premier League table and on course for a place in the Champions League next season after a five-year absence.
However, despite not being part of the Arsenal squad, he may have given the Gunners the boost they needed to finish in the top four this season. That is because of what he did against Manchester United in the late kick-off on Saturday night.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta's perfect £16m transfer to complement Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey at Arsenal
With Arsenal not playing until Monday night, the Gunners will have been looking at what United did against the Foxes and Tottenham's game with Newcastle on Sunday too. And against United, Maddison played a superb ball in for Kelechi Iheanacho to give the visitors the lead, although it was short-lived with Fred cancelling that strike out soon after.
Maddison thought he had won it for Leicester with a strike from Iheanacho's ball, but it was ruled out after a VAR check for a foul on Raphael Varane.
It ended 1-1 at the King Power Stadium and that draw for United keeps them behind Arsenal and Tottenham in sixth place, three points adrift of fourth, with Arsenal holding two games in hand on the Red Devils. Now, looking back, why did a move for Maddison not happen for Arsenal? In a word - finances!
football.london revealed in July last year that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was an admirer of Maddison, with Martin Odegaard's Real Madrid future looking uncertain at the time following his loan spell at the Emirates Stadium. A source close to Maddison told us that the 24-year-old was 'at the top of the list' for Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
football.london had been told, however, that negotiations were 'very slow' and 'like a game of chess' but that Maddison remained keen on a move to north London. The major sticking point for Arsenal, however, was Leicester's demands of more than £60million for the former Norwich and Coventry midfielder.
Quite simply, Arsenal were not willing to pay in excess of £60million for Maddison. His fee was always going to prove a stumbling block and when Odegaard became available for half the price in the closing weeks of the transfer window, the decision was made to close the deal for the Norway international instead.
It seems unlikely that the Gunners will make a move for Maddison anytime soon, especially after signing Odegaard on a permanent deal this summer. Arteta has been targeting young, homegrown players in recent months and whilst Maddison certainly fits the profile in terms of a player he would go for, a transfer does not appear to be on the cards anytime soon.
