Leicester City playmaker James Maddison has revealed he accepts transfer speculation as a compliment amid links with Man Utd and Arsenal.
The 22-year-old impressed for the Foxes last season in his first year in the Premier League, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists in 36 appearances.
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Naturally, having shown such quality in the final third with his technical quality, creativity and eye for goal, it was always going to lead to interest from elsewhere.
While admitting that he sees it as a compliment that top clubs are paying attention to him, he has insisted that he won’t let it distract him as he prepares for the U21 European Championships with England.
“No, you have just got to ignore that and take it all in your stride,” he told Sky Sports, who note that he has a reported £60m valuation and that Man Utd, Arsenal and Tottenham are all said to be interested in signing him this summer.
“As a 17 year-old boy I’d started five games for Coventry and saw on my phone that I was being linked with Tottenham and Liverpool.
“With transfer talk you need to take it as a compliment that people are even talking about you, it won’t distract me.”
Should that touted price-tag be accurate, Arsenal can seemingly be dismissed immediately as it has been claimed that Unai Emery may only have around £40m to spend this summer, as per talkSPORT.
In contrast, Tottenham will be looking to strengthen after their run to the Champions League final last season, while Man Utd arguably still have the spending power to back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite their own disappointment last year.
Time will tell if that results in a move for Maddison, with Leicester undoubtedly desperate to keep him at the King Power Stadium to help Brendan Rodgers continue to lead them to bigger and better things in the coming years with the former Norwich City star a central part of that plan.
