Tottenham Hotspur have apparently moved to the head of the queue in the race to sign Leicester City playmaker James Maddison.
The England international is said to have been identified as a leading transfer target for Ange Postecoglou, who is seeking to bolster his creative ranks in his debut season with Tottenham.
Maddison enjoyed another strong season individually last term with 10 goals and nine assists from 30 Premier League games, but he could not prevent the Foxes' demotion to the Championship.
With only one year left to run on his contract at the King Power Stadium, Leicester are resigned to losing Maddison this summer, although they are still prepared to drive a hard bargain.
Tottenham and Newcastle United are considered the two leading contenders to sign the 26-year-old, and it was reported earlier this month that the Magpies were leading the chase.
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However, with Newcastle now prioritising a swoop for AC Milan's Sandro Tonali, The Guardian claims that Tottenham have emerged as the favourites to sign Maddison this summer.
The Lilywhites are rumoured to have approached Leicester with a £50m double bid for Maddison and Harvey Barnes last week, but the Foxes swiftly rejected Spurs' offer.
Tottenham are expected to come back with a revised bid for the former Norwich City man, who is no longer considered a top target for Newcastle as they prepare to splash out close to £60m on Tonali.
The Magpies would be able to offer Maddison Champions League football and a more lucrative salary than Tottenham, though, and the report adds that Leicester may be waiting a while for Spurs to make their next move.
Nevertheless, Maddison knows that he must remain in the Premier League to give himself the best possible chance of making England's Euro 2024 squad if the Three Lions qualify, and he could be offered a regular starting role in Postecoglou's 4-3-3 system.
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Leicester can expect to make a healthy profit on the €25m (£21.4m) that they paid Norwich for Maddison in 2018, but there are still concerns that they could be forced to accept a lower fee given their financial struggles.
Since swapping Carrow Road for the King Power, the 26-year-old has amassed 55 goals and 41 assists in 203 games for Leicester, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2021.
Tottenham have already welcomed Dejan Kulusevski back to the club on a permanent basis following his successful 18-month loan from Juventus, and a deal to sign Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is close to completion.
The North London giants are understood to have agreed a €20m (£17.1m) fee for the 26-year-old, who is set to undergo his medical over the weekend.
Postecoglou is also being tipped to move for a new centre-back this summer, and Spurs are said to be in advanced talks with Barcelona over a permanent move for Clement Lenglet following his loan spell, while Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi are also being linked with moves to North London.
Ben Knapton
