Tottenham may not be able to afford James Maddison in January
James Maddison would be an ideal purchase for Tottenham in January, but it’s unclear whether or not Spurs have the funds to satisfy Leicester City.
It’s easy to understand why Tottenham would fancy a January swoop for James Maddison. The Leicester City star is a perfect potential replacement for Christian Eriksen. The question is whether or not Spurs have the money to outbid Manchester United for the talented Englishman.
According to The Mirror, both Tottenham and United will take a long look at Maddison once the winter transfer window opens. A potential transfer fee of £60 million has been floated at the going rate for the silky midfielder.
There’s little doubt that both Spurs and United would be willing to meet that valuation. What doesn’t make sense, is the idea that Leicester would accept such a modest price for arguably their most valuable player. Maddison is young, English, and looks to have the potential to become one of the most impactful midfielders in the Premier League. £60 million for a player that fits that description would be a veritable bargain in the January window.
It’s easy to envision a scenario where Leicester flatly refuse to listen to offers for their No. 10 in the middle of the season. If the Foxes do entertain offers for Maddison, they should look to spark an all-out bidding war between multiple Premier League clubs. There’s no reason someone like Liverpool or Manchester City couldn’t elect to join the bidding as well. If that happens, the price tag on Maddison’s head is going to skyrocket with tremendous pace.
The potential of a massive bidding war developing puts Tottenham officials in a very difficult situation. They may well decide that Maddison is the player they need to purchase to fill-in for Eriksen. If that happens, the club will need to shatter their transfer record to get a deal done. That might also prevent Spurs from filling other holes in their squad in January.
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No one can accurately project whether or not Daniel Levy and company are willing to entertain the idea of paying upwards of £80 million for a player of Maddison’s talent and experience. As good as he is, purchasing him isn’t going to immediately transform Tottenham into a Premier League title contender. No matter how you project it, Maddison is going to pose a serious challenge to Spurs in the very near future.