Firm James Maddison asking price is revealed, Newcastle United offer five-figure wage deal for free agent

Newcastle United are boasting a lot of transfer appeal for players seeking new opportunities this summer. Thanks to their Champions League qualification, and with access to decent funds, Eddie Howe’s Magpies are undoubtedly an attractive destination right now.

The window is now open and business can commence, but who will Newcastle add to their already impressive squad? Here are some of the latest updates on the Toon as they continue to be linked with high-profile names.

Leicester want ‘in excess of £60 million’ for Maddison

Leicester may be facing a season in the Championship but they still drive a hard bargain when it comes to their star players. James Maddison is certainly one of them and despite the vast interest in him this summer, including from the Magpies, he won’t be leaving the King Power Stadium for cheap.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Rob Dorsett revealed that the Foxes are likely to want ‘in excess of £60 million’ for Maddison and they are not expected to sell for anthing below the £50 million mark. He also believes that Leicester’s asking price would be significantly higher if the midfielder had longer left on his current contract.

“I think the interesting fact here is that Leicester are planning to be back in the Premier League next season,” Dorsett said. “And so, they don’t want to sell everybody now and then have to re-buy them all again in 12 months’ time, but, the reality is that they have to cut their cloth accordingly.

Newcastle make £4.2m contract offer for Rabiot

Adrien Rabiot is another name attracting a lot of attention this window, and that’s because he is available to snap up for free once his contract with Juventus expires at the end of this month. Newcastle are one club eager to secure his signature and they have already made a move for him, according to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness).

The Magpies have reportedly tabled Rabiot an offer worth €5 million (£4.2m), which works out at about £80,700 per week. However, this is considerably less than what he was earning at Juve and plenty of other teams are also in the running for the Frenchman, including Manchester United, who previously came close to signing him last summer.