Arsenal offer 4 players in James Maddison transfer pursuit

Arsenal will sign a playmaker this window. Who that will be remains to be seen but their sights are firmly set on James Maddison at Leicester and the deal is beginning to hot up as the season curtain-raiser raws closer.

This will be a huge deal should it come off. Despite a wealth of options across Europe, Arsenal have lined up the 24-year-old as their key target, who just so happens to be on a long-term contract at a club in no rush to sell.

Seeing Manchester City close in on signing Jack Grealish for £100m, the situation at Aston Villa is very similar: both players only signed contract extensions a year prior and come with the obligatory Premier League and English tax. They’re also both still relatively young and hugely talented.

Arsenal are nowhere near acquiring someone of Grealish’s ability but Maddison would prove to be statement investment in the squad on the pursuit of European football. Emile Smith Rowe is the only recognised No. 10 in the side and found a niche starting out on the wing where he could dominate the left half-space, and the creative mantle must be shared.

Arsenal offer 4 players as James Maddison transfer suffers blow with Leicester setting their valuation on Arteta’s number one target in summer window

That has left Mikel Arteta with Maddison. There will be contingency plans, of course, yet with less than a month to go until the window slams shut and just over a week until the Premier League kicks off against Brentford, they will need to act fast.

With the Foxes’ valuation said to be hovering somewhere between £60-£70m, Arsenal are attempting methods to bring the overall outlay down. Making first contact with a proposal to Brendan Rodgers’ side to include players in the deal, it’s been revealed who has been floated Leicester’s way.

As per Chris Wheatley, one of Reiss Nelson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah have been offered as makeweights in any potential transfer.

The four in question won’t come as any major surprise; Willock has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle who are willing to meet the £22m asking price; Maitland-Niles sees his future midfield, unlike Arteta; Nelson has one year left on his deal and is way down the pecking order; and Nketiah is surplus to requirements having turned down a new contract.

This report has Maddison valued at the lower end of the scale, £60m, meaning if Willock, for example, was accepted in the deal then Arsenal could be looking at a £40m or so outlay. That seems far more reasonable of an expense.

What is Leicester’s response?

Continued…