JAMES MADDISON should get in the car and drive to Newcastle to take a “step forward” in his career, according to Danny Mills.
The Leicester playmaker, 25, is the subject of a hot pursuit from the Magpies as Eddie Howe desperately tries to add attacking reinforcements before the transfer window closes.
And former England defender Mills encouraged Maddison to pack up and make the move to the north-east because of the project at St James’ Park.
He told talkSPORT: “It’s a step forward. You’ve got to look at where the two clubs are going.
“If you’re going to go off where they finished last year, OK, that’s the only argument that you have.
“But Newcastle is a club on an upward trajectory.”
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Mills continued: “Leicester, at the moment, are on a downward trajectory.
“They’re about to lose Kasper Schmeichel, they’re losing players left right and centre, they still haven’t bought a player in. Youri Tielemans could go as well.
“So, Leicester at the moment look like a club heading down. Their recruitment has been non-existent.
“Newcastle, with everything they’re putting in place, building for the future – it’d be a great move from Maddison.
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“It’s the sort of player Newcastle fans would love, bit of creativity in midfield.
“If I was him I’d get myself on that A1 and start driving.”
Newcastle were bought by a Saudi-led consortium for £300million last year, making them the richest club in world football.
They finished last season strongly, although finished three places below Leicester, and have bolstered defensively with Nick Pope and Sven Botman joining Matt Targett as summer signings.
However, Newcastle have not won the top flight since 1927 nor a domestic trophy since the FA Cup in 1955.
By contrast, Maddison won the FA Cup under Brendan Rodgers last year while the 5,000-1 Foxes famously won the Premier League in 2016 – but are yet to sign anyone this season as they are hamstrung financially.
Newcastle submitted their initial £40m bid last Friday but it was immediately rejected by Leicester, who hope to tie their star midfielder down to a new contract.
However, the Toon went back in with a second offer of just over £45m.
That was still well below Leicester’s valuation of around £60m for the former Norwich star, who is tied down at the King Power until 2024.
Rodgers said of the £40m offer: “It’s not for me to put valuations on the players, it’s not my side.
“But that might just cover three-quarters of his left leg, that price. He’s a top player.
“He’s still very much a player here.
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“Naturally the players are sought after because they are talents.
“You see his performance, you see how happy he is and he’s not a player we want to sell.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
