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Arsenal: 2 huge boosts in James Maddison transfer pursuit

By Ross Kennerley

Leicester City's English midfielder James Maddison celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Leicester City at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on January 3, 2021. (Photo by Michael Regan / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by MICHAEL REGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Leicester City's English midfielder James Maddison celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Leicester City at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on January 3, 2021. (Photo by Michael Regan / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by MICHAEL REGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Ainsley Maitland-Niles
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – JULY 13: Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal during the Pre-Season Friendly between Hibernian and Arsenal at Easter Road on July 13, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images) /

Leicester Interested in Ainsley Maitland-Niles Transfer

It’s all well and good offering a club the chance to take one of their players as some form of makeweight in a deal, but they have to actually want them. Alex Runarsson and Sead Kolasinac are no use here.

Therefore it’s fortunate that Maitland-Niles is actually a wanted man at the King Power Stadium. Music to Arsenal ears.

As per Simon Stone of the BBC, the Foxes are joined by Southampton and Burnley in expressing an interest to sign the 23-year-old this summer, with previous reports of Crystal Palace also making inquiries. Brendan Rodgers’ side were also highly interested back in January.

Plenty of Premier League clubs are eyeing a move for Maitland-Niles, who has two years left to run on his deal, and with Arsenal able to give Leicester the priority pick, as it were, it can only help in their efforts to bring in Maddison.

How much of Maddison’s fee could be knocked off by the Hale Ender? Value is tough to pinpoint this window due to the depressed state of the market, although transfers within the English top-flight aren’t falling as foul to that.

Premier League clubs still have money and it’s the best place to be selling to stand any chance of extracting the value you feel worthy of your talent. With that in mind, Arsenal shouldn’t be looking to go any lower than £15-£18m for Maitland-Niles, and in truth should be starting off at around £25m. The latter figure is highly unlikely but it is a starting point.

He’s versatile, proven in the division, young and homegrown. He ticks a lot of boxes. Should Arsenal be able to knock the Foxes down to a far more manageable £50m or so (which is still an outstanding amount of money) then they could be in business.

You still need the selling club to want to sell, though. Which is why Arsenal could be receiving another boost in this exciting pursuit.

Continued…

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