What's stopping Arsenal from going back for Maddison?

Long-time Arsenal target Youri Tielemans has been reported to agree to sign with Aston Villa, yet the most interesting thing about this move is the principle of the deal and what Mikel Arteta can learn from it.

Despite the quality that Leicester’s 2022/23 side had, they somehow couldn’t find a winning rhythm and were ultimately relegated. Leading to a vast reduction in revenue and the demands of individual players, the Foxes find themselves in a situation in which they need to sell players in order to minimize the damage.

The Foxes are now easy pickings, and it means that the Gunners could pick up an absolute bargain. In 2021, there was much debate over whether to sign Martin Odegaard to be Arteta’s midfield maestro, or whether to go for the Premier League-proven James Maddison.

At the time, the former Premier League champion was valued at around £50-60m. Boasting the most goal contributions by an English player in the Premier League throughout multiple points of the season, Maddison forced his way into the World Cup squad.

Odegaard will need a rest next season due to Champions League football and Fabio Vieira doesn’t quite seem to be at Premier League quality just yet. Maddison will boost the quality of the squad immensely, whilst also providing much needed depth for both Martin Odegaard at CAM and Bukayo Saka at RW.

Evidently a £60m valuation would’ve been fair, but Leicester’s relegation changes everything. The Foxes still want around £50m but as the transfer window nears its end, the price is sure to drop.

If Edu plays his cards right, the Gunners could pick up a brilliant player for a fraction of the price. It would be a massive signing but it wouldn’t be easy, especially with Newcastle trying to get the deal done early in the window.

Would you like to see Arsenal move for Maddison or go for another Leicester player? Comment below.