Arsenal to offer player swaps to tempt Leicester for Maddison (plus goals video)

Arsenal willing to offer fringe players to land Maddison 

Arsenal are willing to offer multiple players in exchange as they hope to land Leicester star James Maddison this summer. 

It is believed that £50million won’t be enough to land the Englishman, thus the London outfit will try to offer either or both of Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland Niles, to sweeten the deal. 

Maddison has reportedly become one of Mikel Arteta’s major priorities in the current shop window, as he tries to make Arsenal a ‘goalscoring’ team again. 

In the past two seasons, the North London outfit have only found the net 111 times in the league, which comes out to be an underwhelming 1.4 goals per match, a mid-table club’s standard. 

Maddison’s video compilations have become a common theme among Arsenal fans 

Is this the year for James Maddison to kick on at Leicester? pic.twitter.com/ZtYWAYzmNR

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 19, 2021

Although the acquisition of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid and the emergence of Emile Smith Rowe helped Arsenal becoming more fluid in the final third, Arteta is in need of another playmaker to pull the strings. 

While Odegaard has returned to the Spanish capital, Smith Rowe’s injury record is a matter of concern. 

It will be interesting to see who Arsenal end up acquiring, especially the fact that they have been strongly linked to Lyon’s Houssem Aouar.  

However, despite links to countless attacking midfielders, the name of Maddison has continuously been discussed, which says more than enough about their priority. 

Maddison has never been afraid of letting it fly from a distance 

Only Bruno Fernandes (73) attempted more shots from outside the box than James Maddison (54) in the 2020-21 Premier League.

— Orbinho (@Orbinho) July 10, 2021

The former Norwich man has been one of the standout performers at the King Power Stadium, since making the switch in 2018. He has 27 goals and 20 assists to his name in 118 appearances.  

But his pursuit won’t be a straightforward one. The midfielder penned fresh terms last year, with Leicester making him one of the top earners at £100,000 per week. Although reports have suggested that Leicester will be open to a move, he is still considered an important part of the puzzle by Brendan Rodgers. 

It’s clear that Arsenal need to stump up the cash on the table if they want to land Maddison, a player Arsenal fans are in awe of. 

Yash Bisht 

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