James Maddison's stance on potential Newcastle move goes public as Leicester reject £40m bid

Some intriguing claims have emerged from Luke Edwards following today's 'breaking news' that we've had a £40m rejected for the Leicester City star.

The Telegraph's man in the North East has revealed that the player himself is 'thought to be keen' on a move to St James' Park - a telling update which may increase our hopes of getting a deal done.

He insists that, after speaking with John Percy - his colleague at The Telegraph who covers clubs in the Midlands - it's clear that news of our bid and serious interest is '100% true.'

However, Newcastle are said to be slightly frustrated that news of our £40m offer has come out in public, as it's a move we'd have preferred to keep under wraps.

What happens next is anyone's guess, but with the player keen to arrive - he has two years left on his current deal - and Leicester in the midst of some financial trouble, it feels like there's a deal to be done here!

If the Foxes value the player at £60m, as per Sky Sports, I wonder if we'll pursue a compromise at around the £50m mark?