Leicester City midfielder James Maddison has caught the eye of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, making him his top transfer target for next summer. New reports suggest that the Manchester United boss believes the 22-year-old will bring more creativity to the club.
After joining from Norwich, Maddison enjoyed a breakout campaign in the Premier League last season. This season, he earned two assists and got a call-up to the England senior squad for recent Euro 2020 qualifiers. However, he failed to make an appearance.
The Times reports that United has made Maddison their top priority for signing next summer. The club is also considering to sign the midfielder during the off-season.
Previously, United have acquired Harry Maguire for £80 million. Talks between Old Trafford and Leicester had stretched for months before the deal was sealed - will they agree to let go of another top player?
Solskjaer is reportedly a big fan of Maddison and will attempt to sign him nevertheless. He also ticks a number of other boxes that Solskjaer wants from any perspective new arrivals, being young, driven and British; all three of United's summer signings also fitted that brief.
However, United may be forced to pay for Maddison three times the fee Leicester paid for him from Norwich. After all, he has proven himself a solid player for the Foxes, strengthening his Premier League credentials.
Manchester United fans have reacted excitedly to James Maddison posting a picture of himself to Instagram showing him playing at Old Trafford. There is nothing particularly odd about the post, considering Leicester City faced off against the Red Devils at Man United's home ground on the weekend.
But the image seems to be hinting on something United fans are hoping for, captioning it with the words that simply read "Old Trafford." This could just be a simple post, or if Old Trafford fans are correct, this could mean that Maddison is willing and ready.
Maddison was at the Manchester United stadium during the weekend. The club beat Leicester 1-0, and the midfielder managed to represent the visiting well, with current boss Brendan Rodgers commenting that Maddison is definitely one of the brightest sparks for the club.
"He's got huge potential," Rodgers said. "I think he's going to improve the management of his game, but he's a big talent, and we're just trying to prepare him in order for him to play at the highest level for as long as he can."
