Newcastle: Eddie Howe sees 68-goal star as 'missing piece' at St James' Park

Newcastle United could be set to play James Maddison on the right of their attack if they can agree a deal with Leicester City this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Eddie Howe has overseen a steady summer of business at St James’ Park but the club could still be set to make a big purchase before the transfer window slams shut.

Despite plenty of speculation, Brendan Rodgers selected Maddison to start for the Foxes on the opening day of the season against Brentford, with the 25-year-old providing the assist for Timothy Castagne’s opening goal.

Newcastle have already seen two bids rejected for his services this summer, the latter of which was around £50 million, with Leicester holding out for £60 million.

Nevertheless, Fabrizio Romano reports, via his Caught Offside column, that the Magpies are set to return with a third offer in the coming days.

Rodgers was emphatic in his comments ahead of the Premier League’s return last week, stating that none of the club’s star men were for sale.

When asked about Maddison and Wesley Fofana, he said: “These players are not for sale. We need to move players out but it’s not getting rid of everyone and certainly not our best assets.

Jones understands that if Maddison were to make the move to the North East, he may well find himself playing regularly on the right-hand side of the attack.

The transfer insider told GIVEMESPORT: “While you consider him as a more central attacker, he loves being on that right channel and delivering from there, and Newcastle are missing that. So I think that that’s why they like him. I think that they like it more as an idea of possibly playing on the right side of that attack.”

It is a deal that would look more like the sort of statement