Arsenal eye surprise inclusion in James Maddison transfer

James Maddison is someone whose name will be mentioned on an hourly basis up until the August 31 deadline. Arsenal may well secure their man before that but until he dots the i’s and crosses the t’s the speculation will be rife.

What offers some reassurance in this case is the future of Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian would be a fantastic signing for the club given his familiarity with the Premier League, cheaper asking price and huge ceiling.

His next step has been a constant talking point all summer but with Toni Kroos suffering an injury to rule him out for around a month, the likelihood of Odegaard leaving has never been slimmer.

Which means it can be all steam ahead for James Maddison.

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Arsenal eye surprise inclusion in James Maddison transfer as Mikel Arteta seeks summer signing of Leicester playmaker before deadline

There is no doubting Mikel Arteta’s admiration for the player and the Gunners’ firm interest as they look to acquire one of the more expensive options on the market to come in and share the creative mantle.

Sitting on a long-term contract with a club in no rush or real desire to sell, the £60-£70m asking price has the potential to be one of the biggest outlays in the club’s history. Ben White may have already arrived on whopping £50m, but due to him being a defensive reinforcement it’s a deal that hasn’t got the collective tails wagging as much.

A fantastic signing, no doubt, yet in an age where transfers are deemed almost more important to supporters than pretty football and results, the clamour is huge to bring Maddison in.

What feels nice takes a back step to what is nice, though. Winning football matches is what matters and the consensus from the club heading into the final stretch of this window is that Maddison will simply help Arsenal do more of that.

Which will of course cost a few quid. Already an offer has been turned down by Leicester to reduce the overall outlay, with one of Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah offered as makeweight. Leicester have said no to all four.

The Foxes are stocked in central midfield and centre-forward, and while they’re after a winger, they would prefer a left-footed one, ruling out Nelson.

Wesley Fofana suffered a broken fibula in an awful challenge during their recent 3-2 win over Villarreal, leaving Brendan Rodgers worryingly threadbare in central defence. They’re now actively seeking reinforcements and this could force Arsenal into a rethink of their offer.

Continued…