Newcastle United have already had two bids rejected in their attempts to sign James Maddison, and a new update has been revealed which will put an even bigger dampener on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest?

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has taken to his pre-match press conference to address the transfer speculation surrounding attacking midfielder James Maddison.

When asked about Maddison and Wesley Fofana's futures at the King Power Stadium, the former Celtic boss told the press (via 90min): "These players are not for sale.

"We need to move players out but it’s not getting rid of everyone and certainly not our best assets. It’s something the club are very strong on. James and Wesley are training very well and working hard for our game on Sunday.”

Howe will be gutted

Considering the clear intent by Newcastle to sign Maddison this summer, Eddie Howe will surely be gutted that it is not looking likely that they can convince Leicester to part ways with the attacking midfielder no matter how hard the Tyneside club tries.

It is reported that the Magpies boss is keen to add another centre-forward and a creative midfielder before the transfer window closes on September 1st, but it is proving difficult to complete deals, something that the 44-year-old detailed in his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Howe revealed (via Chronicle Live): "Nothing has progressed any further, the situation has remained the same since we signed our last signing.

"There's no frustration from me. We've missed out on a couple of players because they moved elsewhere and that. is the delicate thing. It's not always the other club - a lot of things have to drop for you. But I'm confident we can do what we need to improve the squad."

Maddison would be a great fit for the profile of player that the Newcastle manager wants to deploy in his team at St James' Park, with the player proving last season that he poses a serious attacking threat to the opposition.

Over 35 Premier League appearances, the £60m-valued star scored 12 goals, delivered eight assists and created 11 big chances, making 1.4 key passes and 1.1 tackles per game, winning the majority of his duels (55%) and completing the majority of his dribbles (65%).

All things considered, the powerbrokers at St James' Park shouldn't give up on their pursuit for the 25-year-old, as he seems the ideal player to fill the role that Howe wants to add to his talented team, although they are running out of time to convince the Foxes to accept their proposed deal.