31 January 2023 , 16:02
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola appears to have approved a swoop for Leicester star James Maddison after hailing his abilities in the past.
The England playmaker has been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium with the current Premier League champions aiming to give their squad a refresh. City have already allowed fullback Joao Cancelo to leave the Etihad Stadium in a loan move to Bayern Munich.
Whilst deadline day arrivals are not anticipated, Man City already appear to be putting plans in place for the summer. According to Mail Online, they are interested in a summer swoop for Maddison and have lodged an enquiry with Leicester regarding his availability.
It is suggested he could potentially be drafted in as a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva as their respective futures with the club look somewhat uncertain. City could potentially take advantage of Maddison’s contractual situation with Leicester in order to seal his signature.
The former Norwich star has just 18 months left on his current deal in the East Midlands and has regularly been linked with a move away. Arsenal were noted as huge admirers a couple of seasons ago but elected to swoop for Martin Odegaard, whilst Newcastle are also keen on signing the midfielder.
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Man City boss Guardiola has already given his verdict on Maddison and appears to be a huge fan. Speaking after a 1-0 victory over the Foxes back in 2019, the Spaniard said: “They’re [Leicester] so dangerous, Maddison is an incredible player.”
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Meanwhile, the feeling appears to be reciprocated, with Maddison seemingly a fan of City and Guardiola. He was pictured deep in conversation with the former Barcelona boss after City’s victory at the King Power Stadium earlier this campaign.
Speaking after the match, Maddison revealed what was said between the two. “He was asking why we didn’t play like the last 15 minutes for the whole game," Maddison said. "You realise it’s not as easy as that.
“He’s a top manager with a top team and it’s always going to be tough.”
Maddison has been a star performer for Leicester this season despite what has been a tricky season under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers. He has scored seven goals and notched four assists in 14 Premier League appearances this term.
In all, Maddison has made 187 appearances for the Foxes since his arrival from Norwich in the summer of 2018, scoring 52 goals and notching 36 assists. He made his first start at the weekend in Leicester’s slender FA Cup win over Walsall since returning from injury.