The latest on Arsenal’s James Maddison pursuit: 4-year contract & no.10 jersey offered

By Conor Laird Published: July 10, 2021 7:15 pmLast Updated: July 10, 2021 7:21 pm

A fresh insight into Arsenal’s pursuit of Leicester City star James Maddison has been forthcoming on Saturday evening.

Arteta eyeing reinforcements

The subject of the attacking midfield spot at the Emirates has taken centre stage in the media chatter on the back of the 2020/21 campaign coming to a close.

This comes with Arsenal having struggled for central creativity throughout much of a disappointing season.

The eventual emergence of Emile Smith Rowe of course proved a huge plus, whilst Martin Odegaard did a solid if unspectacular job following his loan arrival during the January window.

Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard applauds fans after the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday May 23, 2021. (Photo by Alastair Grant/PA Images via Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta, however, is evidently of the opinion that his side remains in need of another spark.

This, in turn, led the board in North London to sanction a big-money swoop for Norwich City star Emi Buendia early last month.

In the end, though, Arsenal were somewhat surprisingly beaten to the Argentine’s signature by Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

New no.10?

If the latest word doing the rounds in the media is anything to go by, though, then it appears that the Gunners’ search for creative reinforcements remains very much alive.

One name hotly tipped as a potential alternative to Buendia over recent weeks has of course been Leicester City’s James Maddison.

The English international is fresh off the back of a somewhat hit-and-miss campaign, which saw Maddison’s game-time restricted by a series of fitness problems.

The midfielder, though, nevertheless managed to rack up an impressive 11 goals and 6 assists across all competitions.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 21: James Maddison of Leicester City goes down injured during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Leicester City at Villa Park on February 21, 2021 in Birmingham, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

And such production has evidently piqued a serious interest on the part of Mikel Arteta and co., with an in-depth insight into Arsenal’s efforts to land Maddison ahead of next season having this evening been forthcoming.

As per a report from reliable Arsenal insider The AFC Bell, the Leicester City star has been identified as the Gunners’ ‘primary’ summer target.

This has seen Maddison, through back channels, offered a 4-year contract with the option of a 5th at the Emirates, to go along with a salary worth nearly double what he currently takes home, and the iconic no.10 jersey.

The Englishman’s representatives, in turn, expect Arsenal to table an official proposal for his services over the coming weeks, with Maddison himself ‘openly discussing’ the idea of swapping the East Midlands for North London ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

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