Arsenal told huge James Maddison transfer valuation

Arsenal and their hunt for a playmaker this summer has taken supporters on a rollercoaster ride already and the transfer window has barely opened its doors. Names to entice and deter have been mooted with the latest on that list being James Maddison.

Starting out with Emi Buendia, a player Arsenal had tracked for well over a year, and seeing a bid lodged so early into the window got the pulses racing. Having set their own valuation on him, £30m was the top end of his value and the Gunners eased off.

Deemed a ‘transfer failing’, it turned out to be deliberate which then had attentions turned back to Martin Odegaard. An entirely different profile of playmaker – hence why that term is being used in this instance – confidence in his acquisition fizzled out quickly and while not dead in the water, the likelihood looks slim.

Compiling lists on who could be a like-for-like alternative to Buendia, as well as Odegaard, a left-field name entered the fray in the form of James Maddison.

Arsenal told huge James Maddison transfer valuation that forces Mikel Arteta rethink for new playmaker in summer transfer window

A player that fans of opposing Premier League sides will have admired from his time at Leicester, given the Foxes’ undoubted superiority over Arsenal in terms of quality over the past two seasons, his name took some by surprise.

Listed as the Gunners’ number one target in that area, the thought began to settle in supporters’ minds that a homegrown 24-year-old who has created the second most chances in the division since making his top-flight debut in 2018/19 behind only Kevin De Bruyne might be a welcome arrival.

However, he will come at a cost.

The fee in question once Maddison got linked to Arsenal was a cool £60m. Not too far off Arsenal’s biggest ever outlay and would catapult the Coventry-born man into second in the all-time list.

Having felt there was no money to spend this summer, helpful bank loans and the prospect of significant departures from the club have seemingly loosened the purse strings, enough so that £50m on Ben White is considered as a priority addition.

Any interest in Maddison may have to take a backseat though, with Leicestershire Live revealing that the Foxes have issued a very clear ‘hands-off’ valuation of a staggering £80m, the fee it took for Manchester United to sign Harry Maguire.

Surely that’s the end of the road for Arsenal?

Continued…

Arsenal Should Not Pay £80m for James Maddison

It’s completely understandable that Leicester will be putting their foot down on Maddison having done likewise for Maguire two summers ago. They understand that interest from Premier League rivals in their players – another example of how clever their recruitment is – puts the ball in their court.

Able to hold interested parties to ransom having tied their stars down to long deals (Maddison has a contract until 2024), the Foxes can set up shop and wait for the bids to come in.

Regularly mentioned that the club turned down a £70m offer last summer from an unnamed side, seeing that £80m figure mentioned doesn’t seem completely out of place.

However, the reported figure arrives via a Leicester outlet. Local papers always do the most to protect the best interests of their club and there is always some expectancy that a few million quid have been placed on to up that figure.

Going off history, that number has some validity, but at the same time Ben Chilwell was quoted last summer to also be worth £80m. Every major outlet in England peddled that valuation and it was considered the absolute bare minimum.

He was sold for £50m shortly after.

Numbers will be flung about from every which direction yet not until offers start being lodged will there be a clearer picture of what exactly it will take to seal Maddison’s signature. While Leicester are hardly scrambling for cash, the addition of £60m+ is money that can be reinvested, something they’re unfortunately very strong at.

But if it is numbers touching £80m, then it couldn’t be a simpler decision. Arsenal will already be paying English and Premier League tax if they want to sign the forward, while that kind of money could land them two players of a similar calibre across Europe.

Granted, while it appears Arteta is after English experience that would require minimal bedding in time, that kind of money is way beyond Maddison’s valuation, despite his excellent qualities. It was already a hefty spend. That’s way beyond.