Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly at the head of the queue to sign Leicester City playmaker James Maddison in the summer transfer window.
The England international has had his 2022-23 campaign disrupted by injury, but he has nevertheless remained an integral figure in the Foxes' bottom-half fight.
Maddison has contributed nine goals and five assists from 17 Premier League games in the current campaign, and his form earned him a place in the England squad for the 2022 World Cup.
A knee injury meant that Maddison did not earn a single minute of action in Qatar or in Leicester's subsequent four Premier League games, but his return has coincided with the Foxes' recent uptick in form.
The 26-year-old has two goals and one assist from Leicester's two recent wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, and he captained the side against the former and in the weekend's defeat to Manchester United.
© Reuters
However, the playmaker's contract at the King Power Stadium now has fewer than 18 months left to run, meaning that Leicester may be forced to sell him this summer rather than risk letting him go for free in 2024.
Leicester are believed to have made it their top priority to agree a new deal with Maddison, but Manchester City, Man United, Newcastle United and Spurs are all said to be keeping a close eye on the situation.
According to Football Insider, Tottenham currently hold the upper hand in the race for Maddison, who wants to be in the spotlight at any new club he signs for this summer.
The report adds that Tottenham will likely be able to satisfy Maddison's demands of being a key player for his new club, and the Lilywhites could even compete financially with Man City and Newcastle.
Should Spurs beat Newcastle to Champions League qualification, Maddison would only favour a move to North London even more, and Leicester will not hesitate to sell if contract talks do not yield a breakthrough.
© Reuters
Despite the fact that Maddison could become a free agent in 2024, Leicester are supposedly still set to demand between £60m and £70m to sell the midfielder in the upcoming window.
The Foxes paid £22m to poach Maddison from Norwich City in 2018, and the 26-year-old has come up with 54 goals and 37 assists in 190 appearances for Leicester since.
Under Brendan Rodgers, Maddison has played a part in Leicester's FA Cup and Community Shield successes, but Leicester are languishing in 14th in the Premier League table this season.
Tottenham have tended to operate without a number 10 during Antonio Conte's time in charge, but Maddison's versatility has seen him feature out wide recently, and Lucas Moura's exit at the end of the season will open the door for a new attacker to join the ranks.
Ben Knapton
