Arsenal’s busy summer continues with the club in search of a playmaker to fill the void left by the departure of loanee Martin Odegaard. Leicester City midfielder James Maddison is said to be a target of the Gunners, who are willing to offer players in return.
Mikel Arteta’s side somewhat clicked after the turn of the year – thanks in part to the emergence of Emile Smith-Rowe and the loan signing of Odegaard from Real Madrid.
The pair did not relinquish their spots until the end of the season, helping Arsenal fight for a European spot in the meantime. Odegaard, however, returned to Santiago Bernabeu at the end of his six-month loan, leaving Arsenal with a gaping creative void.
James Maddison is a player Arsenal have identified to fill that void. The Englishman has been a consistent creative threat for Leicester City since he arrived from Norwich in 2018. The England international has made 118 appearances for the Foxes in this period, scoring 27 goals and helping the side to back-to-back fifth-place finishes.
Leicester are expected to ask any admirers a considerable amount of money, given their record of selling key players for a mammoth fee.
The report states that Arsenal will have to pay above 50 million pounds if they wish to sign Maddison. However, the Gunners believe that there is some room for negotiation. They are willing to throw in fringe players, such as Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, to lower Leicester’s asking fee for their star midfielder.
Leicester contemplated signing Maitland-Niles last January before the player chose to sign for West Bromwich Albion. Nelson, meanwhile, stayed at Arsenal throughout last season but to no avail. His opportunities under Arteta were limited, and he ended up making just nine appearances – only two of those in the league.
