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…

Leicester Want Cash Only to Sell James Maddison to Arsenal

Everyone can collectively pick their jaws up off the floor.

Indeed, Leicester aren’t interested in any of Arsenal’s wantaway fringe players. The audacity to have that stance.

Was it to be expected? Of course. The Foxes do need a wide player but Nelson hasn’t especially impressed, they just bought Patson Daka so don’t need a striker at this minute, and central midfield is relatively comfortable so Willock isn’t desired.

Maitland-Niles, while of interest to them, isn’t on the agenda in terms of this deal as it’s stated only a straight cash offer will convince the Foxes to part with the 24-year-old.

From the player’s point of view, he is open to moving to north London. If he is to do so however, Arsenal are going to have to pay up. £60m or else.

It’s a completely understandable point of view for Leicester who are in about as strong of a position as they can be. Maddison isn’t pushing for a move away at this point and with European football to come and a healthy contract the playmaker is tied to, all the cards are in their hands.

Historically though, Leicester do make one big sale every summer. Their recruitment is that effective that they reinvest well, not struggling to deal with the departures of Ben Chilwell, Harry Maguire, Riyad Mahrez or N’Golo Kante in recent seasons.

So, what happens next?

Continued…

Arsenal Have to Sell Or Risk Another Late Show

While we all dream of the idea of Arsenal having £60m lying around ready to be spent, that sadly isn’t the case.

Yet to sanction a single permanent sale, talk of Newcastle stumping up £22m for Willock suddenly looks increasingly enticing. That would almost certainly go down as Arsenal’s biggest sale of the summer and theoretically cuts Maddison’s fee by a third.

Interestingly, all of this has picked up since it came to light that Granit Xhaka will be staying in north London. Having resisted Roma’s weak £13m approaches, a decision has been made to commit to the Swiss and avoid forking out what would likely have been around £35m for a replacement.

Due to that, there can be investment elsewhere, therefore the timing of this Maddison move picking up won’t be a major coincidence.

Nevertheless, more sales have to take place. Well, any sales, for that matter.

Willock could be joined by Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin, as well as the three others offered in this deal, so that Arsenal can supplement their budget. They have to sell for the cash injection as well as freeing up wages and space in the squad.

Therefore, what may come of this move is that Arsenal either back away immediately and move on to other targets or speed up (if they can actually go any faster) the outgoings. This window isn’t a case of focusing on one aspect at a time but they run the risk of this move going down to the wire before Leicester shut the door firmly and leave Arsenal in a precarious late position.

Knowing they can’t sweet talk the Foxes into accepting their below average players, it’s cough up or shut up. In the coming days Arsenal may move away from this deal entirely. Either that or they have to sell, and fast.