Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful James Maddison will sign a new deal, citing the club’s new £100m training facility as a reason to stay.
Maddison has been impressive since signing from Norwich in 2018, scoring 13 Premier League goals and registering a further ten assists – a form that began on his England debut against Montenegro earlier this season.
He has understandably attracted attention from some of the world’s biggest clubs with links to Manchester United. Maddison’s current contract is not due to expire until 2023, though, having signed a five-year deal when he joined the club.
Maddison’s goal against Newcastle on New Year’s Day helped Leicester to a comfortable 3–0 win. / Lindsay Parnaby / Getty Images
With talk of a move long overdue, Rodgers has now admitted his hope that Leicester’s new state-of-the-art £100m training ground at Seagrave will persuade Maddison to pen new terms – and give his game another boost. It will help to level up.
“James is a very important player for us. I’ve been watching him develop here,” Rodgers said, as quoted by the Leicester Mercury. “We will go to a new training facility and he has every condition to improve his game.
“He’s the type of player that wants to get better. In my time, I’ve seen him grow and develop both in his personality and in his game.
“He has a great relationship with the club, with the players, with the supporters. I hope that at some point in the future we can tie him down for that long.
Madison’s current contract expires in 2023/Visionhaus/Getty Images.
Maddison has struggled to make an impact of late, failing to score a single goal or contribute an assist since the Foxes’ 3-0 victory at St James’ Park on New Year’s Day.
That makes it 13 games without a goal in all competitions, 10 of them coming in the Premier League. Previously, Maddison had never gone more than five top-flight games without scoring or assisting for Leicester.
His lack of form has coincided with a setback in the club’s form as a whole, with the Foxes now locked in a tough battle with Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Wolves to secure Champions League football for next season.