Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to complete a deal this window for England starlet James Maddison. Spurs are hoping to agree a deal similar to one they agreed with MK Dons for Dele Alli, where they agreed on a fee and then loaned him back to them, allowing him to continue playing first-team football.
Norwich will not feel the need to sell however, in this January window they have already lost Alex Pritchard and Cameron Jerome, bringing a total of around £15 million into the club coffers. The Canaries will not want to lose their star man and will be expecting upwards of £20 million for his services.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has been one of the best players in the Championship this season since forcing his way into the side under new manager Daniel Farke. Maddison has hit eight goals and five assists in all competitions this season including the winner in the East-Anglia derby at Portman Road and the winner in their last game, at promotion hopefuls Bristol City.
Tottenham have been tracking the young English talent since he broke through at his boyhood club, Coventry. The move to Norwich came as somewhat of a coup for the Canaries when they signed him from the Sky Blues in 2016. He was immediately loaned back to Coventry to continue playing in their first team and this only aided his development.
The @NorwichCityFC midfielder claims @SkyBetChamp Goal of the Weekend! #GOTW
This grounding has been the making of Maddison. Even at the tender age of 21, he is heading towards 100 senior appearances and has learnt how to play against many different styles of defender. In League One and the SPL, where he had a loan spell at Aberdeen, he was kicked from pillar to post, but this just served a learning curve for the Coventry kid.
He set pieces and quality on the ball is undeniable. He has been Norwich’s player of the month for four consecutive months and it was not going to be long before the big boys came calling. Tottenham seem like the favourites to land the prestigious young talent but Liverpool and Manchester City also have been tracking the 21-year-old. He has made it into the England u21 squad and it shouldn't be too long before he is part of Gareth Southgate's plans.
The important thing for Maddison is that he keeps playing first-team football. A loan move back to Norwich seems likely if he does leave. If he can follow the same blueprint as Dele Alli then we will be enjoying a top-quality player in the Premier League for years to come.
