Would You Pay 70 Million For Maddison? by Dan
If you believe reports, Arsenal want James Maddison and the player is open to moving to North London.
The issue is the third party in the equation.
In all due respect to Leicester, gone on the days when a ‘big six’ club could bully other sides in the transfer market.
The Foxes have owners who don’t need to sell assets to raise funds and can offer generous wages.
So if 70 million is their valuation for the midfielder it’s unlikely they will compromise.
Riyad Mahrez left 12 months later then he wanted. Even when he went AWOL on deadline day in August 2017, his employers wouldn’t budge because the price they quoted hasn’t been met.
Man United were negotiated up to 80million for Harry Maguire.
The hope is they might reconsider due to the sense that Brendan Rodgers isn’t the biggest fan of the 24-year old’s attitude. He was dropped for the run in to the season due to the rumoured perception that the hype was going to his head. This speculation might not help that.
It highlights the tax on English talent that a player who was dropped by a side who finished 5th and didn’t even make his nations provisional 33-man squad for the Euros could be valued so highly.
If Arteta rates the player though, he should be backed.
Having finished in our worst position in a quarter of a century, Stan Kroenke must be prepared to pay over the odds in the next month. If he doesn’t the gap between us and those who finished above us will only grow, especially considering the sums of money being spent in Manchester.
Going back to the Arsene Wenger days we were a club who were always resistant to the inflation in fees. Our desire to find value was noble yet naive.
While a Maddison is probably not worth 70 million, if we start the campaign without more creativity we will get left behind.
It’s been confirmed by numerous sources that the reason we picked Pepe over Zaha two years ago was Lille were receptive to a generous payment plan whereas Palace wanted the majority of the fee paid up front.
It’s unlikely Leicester will settle for money spread over too many instalments. Nor can I see either side finding the balance between finding players who Arsenal deem surplus to requirements who Leicester would want.
Would you pay 70 million for James Maddison?
Be kind