Tottenham spends $51 million to buy Maddison

Leicester have agreed to sell midfielder James Maddison to Tottenham for less than their initial asking price of $76 million.

The two clubs reached an agreement today, June 28, and the England midfielder will undergo a medical at Tottenham on the same day. Tottenham will guarantee to pay the $51 million transfer fee, with other details such as the time of payment and the amount of performance-based bonuses to be agreed upon when the official contract is signed.

James Maddison before Leicester's match against Everton at Goodison Park, Liverpool in the Premier League on November 5, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Maddison is expected to earn $216,000 a week at Tottenham, and has agreed personal terms with his new club. The 27-year-old midfielder is keen to play in the Premier League after Leicester were relegated. He has just returned to England after a short break in Ibiza, Spain.

Leicester initially demanded $76 million, even though Maddison had only one year left on his contract. Newcastle were also in contention with Tottenham, but Maddison was not a key target for them after they had signed Sandro Tonali from Milan. Needing money to rebuild their first-tier English club, Leicester relented and reduced the asking price for Maddison to Tottenham. They could receive an additional $6 million depending on the England international's performance at Tottenham.

Maddison will be Tottenham's second signing under new manager Ange Postecoglou, following the $21 million move for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli. Tottenham also signed midfielders Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski on loan for a season.

Maddison was born in Coventry and grew up in the club's academy before moving to Norwich in 2016. He was Norwich's best player, so Leicester brought him to the club in June 2018 for $25 million. Maddison scored 55 goals in 203 matches for Leicester, and was the team's best player in the 2021-2022 season. At Tottenham, he is likely to replace Lucas Moura - a player who just left due to the expiration of his contract.

Before Maddison joined Tottenham, he received advice from famous player Alan Shearer: "Make sure Tottenham keep Harry Kane first".

Hoang An

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