Leicester’s done well to have James Maddison commit his future long-term
By Varun Aithal
James Maddison staying at Leicester City keeps the Premier League interesting.
The Premier League is one of the most competitive football leagues in Europe. Despite giving players very little time to adjust and adapt, it has allowed talented players to nurture and develop themselves into some of the best in the world.
Talent has always been rewarded in the English top flight. Adding to the list of talented players, James Maddison is one of those who have thrived in the Premier League since his first appearance.
In the summer of 2018, Maddison signed a five-year agreement upon joining Leicester from Norwich City. Now, two remarkable campaigns have earned the 23-year-old an extended stay at King Power with more improved terms.
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In the club’s Friday night curtain-raiser, Maddison made his debut for Leicester City against Manchester United at Old Trafford. He then scored on his first outing at the King Power Stadium a week later in a 2-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He was named as the club’s Young Player of the Season after an impressive first campaign in the EPL. The creative midfielder went on to make 38 appearances for Leicester City in all competitions and scored seven times.
After signing the new and improvised contract, James Maddison told the official website, LCFC.com;
"I’m so happy to sign a new contract for this football club.It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a Leicester City player with so many positive things happening on and off the pitch and I’m delighted to be part of that. What we’ve achieved as a club this season is a huge step forward for us and I know there’s so much more to come from this team.I’ve enjoyed every moment since joining Leicester City. The supporters have been incredible to me and we’ve a fantastic set of players in that dressing room who are determined to show what we’re capable of doing together in both Europe and the Premier League next season."
Amid multiple players being rumoured with a move to different top-flight clubs, the contract extension of James Maddison comes as a boost to Brendan Rodgers and the club. If reports are to be believed, Ben Chilwell is on the verge of completing a transfer to Stamford Bridge worth £50m.
However, the contract extension of the English playmaker has cast doom on several high profile clubs, keeping them far away from Maddison in a difficult market, where big clubs are more reluctant to spend big money. The 23-year-old had gained a lot of traction with his stupendous performances in the first half of the season.
A new four-year deal for @Madders10! 📝 pic.twitter.com/JwAZITjIUs
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 24, 2020
His absence after the restart affected Leicester City’s Champions League qualification. The player has six goals and four assists in 29 appearances. Also, it was his passing and pin-point crosses that had turned the attention of footballing giants towards him.
The player has an 83% pass accuracy in the top flight. Manchester United had eyes on the player and might have subsided their interest owing to the new deal. The new deal has him earning close to £100,000-per-week, including bonuses.
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Brendan Rodgers’ side will commence their Premier League campaign away to newly-promoted West Brom on September 12.
Leicester City were in the third position when Premier League 2019/20 got restarted but bottled it all the way to allow Manchester United and Chelsea to qualify for the elite tournament. Maddison’s absence was a key reason for their failure in not securing CL football.