Newcastle United know that it's now or never when it comes to bringing James Maddison to St James' Park.
They thought they'd clinched a deal last summer when putting in a £50million bid for the England international but the deal didn't go through after talks with his agent once it got to further discussions. Maddison has been filled in on life at Newcastle thanks to the likes of England pals Nick Pope and Kieran Trippier but there are other teams interested in signing him as he prepares to leave Leicester, the club that put him on the map.
It would appear that Tottenham Hotspur are Newcastle's biggest rivals for Maddison and the London club also hold an interest in another player United have scouted in Harvey Barnes. Whether the Magpies would get themselves in a bidding war for Maddison remains to be seen but it feels unlikely they would grapple with Spurs because Eddie Howe does have other options.
