Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, looks to have given the go-ahead for a move for James Maddison of Leicester after praising his qualities in the past.
The current Premier League champions are looking to renew their roster, and the England playmaker has been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium. Joao Cancelo, a fullback, has already been permitted by City to depart the Etihad Stadium for a loan move to Bayern Munich.
Man City does not anticipate any arrivals on deadline day, but it appears that they are already making preparations for the summer. They have contacted Leicester to inquire about Maddison’s availability since they are interested in a summer swoop for him, according to Daily Mail.
Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva’s futures with the team are said to be relatively unknown, hence it has been claimed that he might be selected to replace them. Maddison’s contract situation with Leicester may be used by City in order to get his signing.
The former Norwich star, whose contract with the East Midlands has just 18 months left, has frequently been linked to moves away. Several seasons ago, it was reported that Arsenal had a strong interest in the midfielder but decided to sign Martin Odegaard instead. Newcastle has since expressed interest in the player as well.
Guardiola, the manager of Man City, has already expressed his opinion of Maddison and seems to be a big fan. The Spaniard stated, “They’re Leicester very dangerous, Maddison is a wonderful player,” following a 1-0 victory over the Foxes in 2019.
Maddison, who reportedly supports City and Guardiola, also seems to share the sentiment. Earlier this season, following City’s triumph at the King Power Stadium, he was seen having a lengthy talk with the former Barcelona manager.
Maddison discussed what the two had said in her post-game remarks. “He was questioning why we didn’t play the final 15 minutes of the game, “added Maddison. “It’s not as simple as that, you realize.
It will always be challenging since he is a top manager of a top team.
Despite having a difficult season when playing for Leicester under Brendan Rodgers, Maddison has been a standout performance for the team this year. In 14 Premier League appearances this season, he has seven goals and four assists.
Since joining the Foxes from Norwich in the summer of 2018, Maddison has made a total of 187 games, amassing 52 goals and 36 assists. Since making a full recovery from his injury, he started for the first time this past weekend as Leicester defeated Walsall in the FA Cup.