An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Leicester City's James Maddison ahead of the January transfer window...

What's the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has revealed that the Magpies will continue to keep tabs on the English midfielder and his situation at the King Power, although they face a battle to land him.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “They’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it, but Leicester’s situation will determine whether he becomes available.

“It’s hard to imagine that they’re going to let anyone leave halfway through a season when they’re fighting for their Premier League status.

“They’ve already had players ripped out and they’re struggling to bounce back from that.”

Howe's next Guimaraes

At the halfway point in the 2021/22 campaign, Newcastle were 19th in the Premier League table and in desperate need of a magic touch on the pitch.

The signing of Bruno Guimaraes, with help from the likes of Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn, provided that spark as he hit the ground running in England.

He averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.25 in the top-flight - higher than any other Toon player with 10+ appearances - and scored five goals in 11 starts as he led the club to an 11th-placed finish - 14 points clear of 18th.

Whilst Newcastle may not be sitting in such a precarious position come January this time around, Maddison could come in and push the team further up the table by injecting more quality into Howe's attack.

The gem, who is valued at £60m by his current club, has proven that he can score and assist goals at an impressive rate in the Premier League and would be a major upgrade on the Magpies' current options.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, Maddison has scored 22 goals and provided 16 assists in the top-flight for Leicester - including 12 goals and eight assists last term.

Meanwhile, no Newcastle player managed more than eight goals or five assists in 2021/22, with Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin leading the way.

These statistics suggest that Maddison, who was once dubbed a "magician" by Statman Dave, would improve Eddie Howe's options both in terms of scoring goals and creating them.

Therefore, he could come in and hit the ground running - given he has already proven himself in the Premier League - just like Guimaraes did in January 2021. He could make an instant impact on the side, by elevating the attack, and give them a lift in the second half of the season - if the club can convince Leicester to part ways with him.