Tottenham Hotspur are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Norwich City’s attacking midfielder James Maddison, but the Championship outfit would demand at least £20 million for the 21-year-old, according to The London Evening Standard.
Spurs have had success in investing in young English players in recent years, with Mauricio Pochettino placing his faith in homegrown talent.
The London Evening Standard suggest that Maddison could well be the latest British starlet that Tottenham look to bring to North London, with the Lilywhites believed to be keeping tabs on the playmaker.
The Norwich man has impressed at Carrow Road so far this season, scoring seven goals and creating five assists in 23 Championship starts for the Canaries.
Maddison has also been brought into the England under-21 camp and as such Tottenham could well have a rising star on their hands.
The newspaper suggest that a deal similar to the one used to sign Dele Alli from MK Dons could be replicated, with the 21-year-old possibly penning a contract with Spurs now but spending the rest of the campaign on loan back at Norwich.
Looking at it objectively, Maddison appears to fit the criteria of a Pochettino signing and could well be a shrewd acquisition for Tottenham.
Spurs may also have an advantage over the midfielder’s other suitors, with the London club and Norwich conducting recent transfer business.
Tottenham sold Alex Pritchard to the Carrow Road side back in 2016 and have this week agreed to send rising star Marcus Edwards to the Canaries on a loan deal for the remainder of the campaign.
As such, this relationship between the teams could well be strengthened further by Spurs moving for Maddison.
There were reportedly no shortage of suitors for Edwards in both the summer and current transfer windows, but Norwich were identified as the preferred destination for the 19-year-old.
However, with the links to Maddison now circulating, cynics among us Tottenham fans may believe that Daniel Levy sent Edwards to Carrow Road instead of other Championship clubs with an ulterior motive in mind – beating Premier League rivals to Maddison’s signing now or in the summer?