Leicester City: 3 Players that could replace James Maddison

Leicester City holds one of the most exciting attacking English midfielders in the Premier League. So he is going to attract a lot of unwanted attention.

Under such circumstances, it is always crucial for the management to keep a sharp eye to search for the next person to fill in his boots if ever the player decides to part ways to play elsewhere. A recent reports suggest Arsenal has made playmaker James Maddison their top transfer target for this summer.

The desperation generated from the Emirates, predominantly, due to the fact of Martin Ødegaard returning to Real Madrid. Obviously, after an unexpected fall in the league rankings, a club like Arsenal is adamant to bounce back this season and find a worthy No 10 to replace him. The Foxes remain convinced that Maddison is going nowhere, but football is a sport of uncertainty, and nothing lasts forever.

Maddison signed a new four-year deal at the King Power worth about £100,000-a-week last summer. He was performing pretty well in the first half of the season. In the latter half of the season, he was subjugated with a recurrence of his hip problem which ultimately took a toll on his creativity. Eventually, he did not cut England’s Euro squad.

Leicester treated the star as their prized asset at the club. A bid worth about £70million was rejected by the East Midlands side last summer. However, judging Maddison’ recent form, a similar bid would assert rethinking. Frankly, any figure in over half a million is a thought-provoking bid at this point.

Similarly, Chelsea is also interested to test the waters if Hakim Ziyech opts to find new pastures due to his lack of playing time. So now, both Arsenal and Chelsea believe that there may be a deal to be struck if they can present the right offer. With that said, let us divulge into some of the worthy players that match the description of carrying forward the responsibility of being LCFC’s No.10 on their shoulders.

Philippe Coutinho in a Leicester City shirt

The only transparent evidence that we possess is Maddison will not be sold for a cheap bid. It means the club would earn a massive amount to bring in a new statement signing. With Leicester City’s expectations aligning towards the Champions League qualifications, it only makes sense to get hold of a player who has won it.

The recent interest in the Foxes’ recruitment with Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho is a fascinating target. Priced at a fee of € 20m, he could be a perfect replacement for Maddison in the short run. The experience and skills that he inherits due to his Brazilian roots are just priceless. A playmaker like Coutinho can be vital with City’s two strikers in the 3-4-1-2 system.

The 29-year-old was brought into the Premier League by none other than Brendan Rodgers. Under him, Coutinho had played some of the best football of his whole career. Now the player has hit a rough patch. Staying at Barca isn’t helping him to get back to his usual. Rogers has done wonders for a lot of players to find their niche. We can hope such a figure will be critical to Philippe’s rejuvenation of form.

Why look elsewhere when we have Dewsbury-Hall?

Maddison’s most impactful ability is his playmaking aspect. He has shown his technical ability of distribution that has aided City’s forwards in the opposition’s box. A similar characteristic also is possessed by the very talented and young academy graduate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Dewsbury-Hall was loaned out to the Championship side of Luton Town, where he thrived spectacularly. Flexible in three different positions in the midfield, he remains a lethal weapon for anyone he plays for. Versatility is his second nature. At 22 years of age, he can be used as a blank canvas to become the next attacking midfielder for the Blues.

With numerous player of the month accolades at Luton, he looks a bright prospect to take over the Premier League soon by storm. He finished the 20/21 season with a rating of 7.10, having started 36 games out of his 39. The benefits of promoting and nurturing a homegrown talent secure the club’s funds that can be utilized elsewhere.

Francisco Trincão- an ideal replacement

The problem with Coutinho is his age, an issue with Dewsbury-Hall is his lack of minutes in the No.10 role. That’s where someone like Francisco Trincão becomes a choice that is ideal for the club’s consideration and investment. But one might point out that he has earned his accolades as a winger, and yes, that accusation would be perfect.

So how do you go around that? Simple, you alter the formation. Leicester has played with robust changes as per necessity during their last campaign, and a signing like Trincão solves the first problem of Leicester City, which is the search for a worthy right-winger. After that, the formation can be tailored from the 3-4-1-2 system to a 4-1-2-3 system which will aid the striker with two magnificent options on either side.

The possibility does not stop there, the Portuguese starlet is just 21-years old, and he has time to reach the best phase of his career. The Foxes can commit a move that will serve them long term and will be a massive help to the club that is so fond of relying on young starlets. That ends our look at potential No.10 successors, please comment on FoL’s verified Twitter account to discuss the nominations.