Manchester City have been linked with a move for Leicester City playmaker James Maddison as Pep Guardiola wants goalscoring midfielders to make up for Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan’s poor output of late, but Alan Hutton says the 26-year-old might not make the switch if he can’t be guaranteed playing time.
Hutton told Football Insider: “He is an exceptional player. I think it will come down to money and what the transfer fee would be. (But) the problem is where does he fit in? It is a difficult squad to get into. Going to City is a big draw (and) there is an opportunity to win things, but you might not play. Does he want that or does he want to play regularly?”
Maddison joined Leicester from Norwich City in 2018 and has gone on to make 188 appearances in all competitions, scoring 53 goals with 36 assists. The England international has netted eight goals with four assists from 15 Premier League games this season, so he possesses the scoring qualities Guardiola wants in a midfielder.
The 26-year-old should be granted a move from Leicester this summer too, as his contract is up in 2024. Maddison isn’t expected to sign a new deal, so the Foxes may have to cash in early to get maximum value or risk losing him for nothing next year.
Hutton is right to say that Maddison could struggle for playing time, however, as Gundogan, Silva and Kevin De Bruyne are central playmaker types while Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez operate as wide forwards.
In other news, Pep Guardiola won’t sanction Rodri sale despite ‘replacement’ claim from pundit
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