Tottenham Hotspur could now launch a bid for James Maddison...

What's the word?

That's according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who dropped a fresh claim on the situation after Premier League rivals Newcastle United tabled a £40m offer for the Leicester City midfielder, which has subsequently been rejected.

"Spurs will be watching this situation and it might spark them into a bid. I don’t think Maddison is convinced about Newcastle from what I’ve heard," he told GIVEMESPORT.

It's thought that the Foxes would want around £50m to let the one-time England international depart the King Power Stadium, as per The Times.

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Best signing yet

The Lilywhites' interest in the English playmaker has been well-documented in recent weeks, with football.london reporter Alasdair Gold suggesting that the club would be "in like a shot" if he were to become available this summer.

Other reports have suggested that Leicester will have to sell some of their star players - including Maddison - if they are to raise funds to bolster Brendan Rodgers' squad, so that opportunity may well arise before next month's transfer deadline.

And what a signing Maddison would be for Tottenham, not only would he be that missing creative piece in Antonio Conte's squad but he's also a homegrown talent, so his arrival would lower the pressure on that front ahead of the Premier League registration deadline.

The former Norwich City gem enjoyed one of his best campaigns yet last term, where he provided 18 goals and 12 assists across 52 appearances, including a run in the Europa and Europa Conference League, via Transfermarkt.

A goal or assist every 120 minutes in 2021/22 is an impressive feat, especially considering the poor season that the Midlands outfit had.

FBref have likened his statistical profile to that of Chelsea star Mason Mount, as well as Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, so that only goes to show the calibre of player that Maddison is right now.

Throughout his career, the playmaking dynamo has earned plenty of praise, ranging from being dubbed a "special talent" by The Times' Henry Winter to BBC Norfolk presenter Rob Butler describing him as a "genius."

Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici has conducted some excellent pieces of business since he arrived at Hotspur Way last summer, notably the likes of Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski, as well as Richarlison and Yves Bissouma this summer, who are just two of six fresh faces.

But Maddison would arguably be the biggest coup of the lot as he would solve one of the club's longest-standing issues - replacing Christian Eriksen,

On the above evidence, the Englishman has all the attributes to be the perfect solution and he would need little time in adapting to his surroundings, having been tried and tested in the big time for several seasons now.

Paratici must get this deal over the line as his seventh swoop of the summer window.

AND in other news, Paratici given green light to seal bargain Spurs signing in "outstanding" £25m "rock"...