Leicester to move for £30m Man Utd man if Maddison leaves

Jason Soutar
James Maddison and Jesse Lingard

Leicester City could attempt to sign Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard if James Maddison leaves the club this summer.

Lingard enjoyed a tremendous loan spell at West Ham United during the second half of last season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 16 Premier League appearances.

The Hammers were linked with a move for the 28-year-old on a permanent basis this transfer window but United’s £30million asking price was too steep for the Londoners.


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Lingard failed to make a single appearance for the Red Devils last term and his time at the club looked numbered, however, his spell at the London Stadium has put him back into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans.

The midfielder claimed that the loan spell was like “hitting the refresh button” for him.

He told Man Utd’s official website: “Yeah, it was a great time. It was like hitting the refresh button. I was always ready to hit the ground running and I was always fit and ready to play.”

The revitalised Lingard has emerged as a possible replacement for Maddison if he moves on from the King Power this month.

The Foxes’ playmaker has been linked with a move to Arsenal as they aim to improve on their eighth place finish in 2020/21.

The Gunners have tried to tempt Leicester with a part-exchange deal involving the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson, but they are not interested.

Leicester value Maddison at £70million and the player has three years left on his current contract.

Furthermore, manager Brendan Rodgers has said that the 24-year-old is happy at the club:

“I know he is very happy here and he wants to be here,” he said.

“If anything comes to the club, Jon Rudkin [director of football] would tell me straight away and I would deal with it then, but there has been nothing that’s come my way.

“I’ve not been told anything to say [he won’t stay]. He is happy in training and he is working hard, and he is a talented, important member of the squad.

“He had his season disrupted by injury last year but hopefully this season he can show what a real top player he is.”