Leicester reject £40m Newcastle bid for James Maddison

Leicester City have rejected a £40m bid from Newcastle United for midfielder James Maddison, 90min understands.

Newcastle are looking at bringing in a couple of signings before the end of the transfer window, and they want to bolster their attacking options.

Leicester have been unable to bring in any players thus far this summer due to the size of their squad which means they have little room when it comes to Financial Fair Play and indeed player sales are required.

Kasper Schmeichel, Youri Tielemans and Wesley Fofana are all attracting interest from other clubs, while Maddison has also been strongly linked with a move to London, where Arsenal and Tottenham are known to be admirers.

Newcastle have now moved to entice Leicester into a sale with a £40m offer, which sources have confirmed was rejected out-of-hand by the Foxes.

90min understands that Leicester have not given Newcastle any encouragement to return but the North East club are considering a new offer.

Leicester, for their part, are looking at a new contract for the playmaker, with Maddison’s current deal expiring in 2024 – although it remains to be seen what the player’s stance is on his immediate future.

While a winger and striker are very high on Eddie Howe’s wanted list, the club have also been looking at potential midfield signings, with Aston Villa’s Carney Chukwuemeka and Lyon’s Lucas Paqueta also on their radar.