Newcastle must make £110k-a-week star 'highest paid player' at St James' Park

Newcastle United have not received any encouragement from Leicester City or James Maddison over a transfer this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Tyneside club reportedly had a bid for the £110,000-a-week attacking midfielder turned down last week and have since returned with a fresh offer, but Jones has told GIVEMESPORT that the player is yet to signal to them that he wants to join.

At the end of July, The Telegraph reported that Newcastle had made an unsuccessful £40m bid for Maddison.

It is clear that the Foxes want a much bigger fee, with the MailOnline claiming that their asking price is actually £60m, a figure they are now getting closer to after launching a new £50m bid.

Maddison is one of Leicester’s best players and had an excellent campaign last season, making it no surprise that the Premier League outfit are demanding huge money for him.

In 35 top-flight appearances, he scored 12 goals and provided eight assists to help Brendan Rodgers’ men to an eighth-placed finish.

Despite putting in another offer, Jones says Maddison is yet to hand Newcastle any encouraging signs and would probably need to be made their highest-paid player in order for a move to happen.

Speaking to GMS, the transfer insider said: “I was told they haven’t received any encouragement from Leicester to do so [continue bidding]. And they also haven’t had any encouragement that the player actually wants to join them.

“Newcastle will have to make Maddison their highest-paid player if there is any chance of this coming off.”

Absolutely. As his stats from last season show, Maddison is an attacking midfielder who is able to score and create goals.

Over the last year, the former Norwich City man has ranked in the 90th percentile for