Leicester boss reveals Maddison doesn’t want Arsenal transfer
Somebody is lying: either a ‘top Arsenal reporter’s’ source, Leicester City manager Brendan, or the man himself, James Maddison.
On Tuesday football.london’s Chief Arsenal correspondent, Chris Wheatley, claimed Leicester star James Maddison is “keen” on a move to Leicestershire. In general, this suggestion seems slightly unbelievable at present: the No.10 is an integral part of a club becoming one of the six best in England’s Premier League.
And Arsenal, their close North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur – or both – are at risk of being replaced by the Foxes as a so-called ‘big six’ team. We are aware that those established sides are ‘bigger clubs’ than the Leicestershire outfit, due to fan base size, revenue, even historical trophy success.
Next. Latest LCFC transfer rumours. dark
Yet, mostly that is history. We all know it’s best for sports teams not to dwell in the past. Furthermore, the Leicester faithful continues to grow exponentially; whilst presumably Spurs and the Gunners stagnate or at least have fewer supporters joining.
Aside from these reasons for Maddison to remain at LCFC, Mikel Arteta’s unconvincing work-in-progress finished eighth for two consecutive seasons. Not to mention the Londoners failing to qualify for even the Europa League in the upcoming term, with Leicester in the competition.
Excl: Arsenal have proposed a player plus cash deal for Leicester midfielder James Maddison.
— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley) August 3, 2021
I'm told negotiations are 'very slow' and 'like a game of chess' but the player is keen on a move to north London.https://t.co/jOGOBDeKTI
That’s why Wheatley’s statement that ‘Madders’ fancies a switch to Emirates Stadium feels a stretch. There is more status as a Gunner overall, I suppose, but at the moment Maddison is better off with Brendan Rodgers’ fantastic project where more silverware is even a possibility.
Leicester City boss’s update contradicts claim
However, in spite of reports, when asked about rumours surrounding James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, the Leicester gaffer said his players want to stay:
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"“The players want to stay. It’s a really exciting time at the club.“There’s lots of gossip and speculation around but I’m loving working with the guys here, they love being here, and we certainly have no need to sell. So I would suspect we’re looking to keep our best players.”– Brendan RodgersVia Leicester Mercury"