Tottenham Hotspur 'verbally agree £40m James Maddison deal'

The 26-year-old has allegedly already agreed personal terms over a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Newcastle United have also been heavily linked with the England international this summer, but Maddison is believed to have made it clear that he preferred a move to Spurs.

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the two clubs have a 'verbal agreement' over a £40m deal, with only the final details in terms of the payment structure needing to be discussed.

Romano claims that Maddison will soon undergo a medical with the North London side before an official announcement is made confirming his arrival in the English capital.

Maddison has been with Leicester since 2018, arriving from Norwich City, and he has featured on 203 appearances for the club, scoring 55 goals and registering 41 assists in the process.

During the 2022-23 campaign, the playmaker scored 10 goals and registered nine assists in 32 appearances for the Foxes, including 10 goals and nine assists in 30 Premier League outings.

However, he was unable to prevent Leicester from being relegated to the Championship, with the Foxes finishing 18th in the table, two points from the safety of 17th position.

Maddison's current deal at the King Power Stadium is due to expire next June, and he is now preparing to leave the club to retain his status as a Premier League player.

The attacker has scored 43 goals and registered 34 assists in 163 Premier League appearances during his time at Leicester, while he has also featured in the Europa League and Europa Conference League.

However, there will be no European football at Spurs next season, with the capital side finishing eighth in the Premier League table last season.

Spurs have already made two signings during the summer market, turning Dejan Kulusevski's loan move at the club from Juventus into a permanent one, while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has arrived from Empoli.

Tottenham will begin their pre-season against West Ham United on July 18, which will represent Ange Postecoglou's first game as head coach.

Spurs will travel to Brentford in their first league game of the new season on August 13, meanwhile, before welcoming Manchester United to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 19.