According to the latest reports from the Metro, Liverpool are set to rival Manchester United for the signing of Leicester City’s attacking midfielder James Maddison. Quite a few heavyweight clubs have been linked with the former Norwich City player as Tottenham and Manchester City are also said to be interested. Reports earlier came out that Manchester United are going to make him their transfer priority.
Maddison is being rated at £60m by the Foxes, and it is no surprise to see heavyweight clubs going after him after his impressive first season in the Premier League. The Englishman scored seven goals and provided seven assists, and he would be a top signing for a club like Liverpool.
The attacking midfielder rose into prominence when he played for Norwich City in the Championship, and that earned him a £20m move to Leicester City. It never looked like the 22-year-old was playing in his first season in the English top flight as he settled in seamlessly and produced some magical performance for his side.
Does Liverpool need Maddison?
The Reds recently won the Champions League and finished second on 97 points in the Premier League. However, they achieved all that without an outright playmaker from midfield as almost all the Liverpool midfielders are workhorses and not natural creators. They relied heavily on their fullbacks to produce the attacking outlets, and Klopp would probably love to have a playmaker like Maddison in the midfield.
The Reds never really replaced Philippe Coutinho with an attacking midfielder as they decided to invest in different areas of the squad. The club was close to signing a playmaker in the form of Nabil Fekir last season, but the move fell through because of medical issues to the player.
Maddison’s strengths
The 22-year-old is someone who always looks to move the ball forward, and he often livens up things when he receives the ball in between the defence and midfield line. Blessed with good pace and dribbling skills, Maddison comes alive in the final third, and he can score goals and link up play well. The Englishman’s best years are yet to come, and he could be a significant threat for the opposition if the Reds manage to sign him.
Should Liverpool go after him?
Liverpool should have enough funds to invest in after their Champions League win and a second place finish in the Premier League. We feel that Klopp should go all out to sign Maddison to get their final piece of the jigsaw even though he will cost £60m.
