Newcastle United should 'break the bank' to sign James Maddison - but only if Eddie Howe is convinced the Leicester City star can take his team to the 'next level'. That is the view of Magpies legend Warren Barton, who is convinced the England international could add the 'x-factor' at St James' Park.
Newcastle have seen two bids turned down for Maddison so far, and are now weighing up their options with the season opener against Nottingham Forest just three days away. Leicester are believed to be holding out on a £60 million price tag, with conflicting reports suggesting the Magpies have so far offered in the region of £40m.
United have been determined not to overpay the odds in the face of a so-called 'Newcastle tax' following the takeover which has led to them being dubbed one of the world's richest clubs. The Magpies walked away from a January deal for Diego Carlos, and stood firm on their valuation in their eventual successful move for Sven Botman.
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However, Newcastle's public attempts to sign Maddison have so far drawn debate among fans on social media, with some questioning why the club are reluctant to stump up the cash required. The former Norwich City playmaker enjoyed his best season to date last term, and has proven himself a consistent Premier League performer in his four seasons with the Foxes.
Barton has applauded the owners' approach to the market so far, which has seen them land three early summer signings in addition to the mid-season spending spree in excess of £90m. The former full-back believes the negotiations so far for Maddison also represent 'sensible business' despite the current distance in valuations.
However, Barton reckons Newcastle will have to accept a time will come where they have to bite the bullet and pay a premium to land their top targets going forward. The Fox Sports pundit believes that decision could be taken with Maddison, although he feels the final call should be left with Howe and his coaching staff.
Barton told ChronicleLive: "You're not going in with £4m and add-ons, £40m straight away is a good bid. It's not as if they've gone in there and been disrespectful. They've proved to people they're not fools, they not going to get exploited or taken for granted. They made that perfectly clear in January when they wanted those players.
"But, there will come a time and it happened at Manchester City and PSG and Chelsea, if you want someone, you have to go and get them. You've made your point that you're not going to be taken advantage of but if there's a player Eddie thinks can take us to that next level, I think as a group we've got to put our heads together and say this is one that we need to break the bank for.
"They've proven their point earlier on to people, and that's great. When someone does come along that can take you to that next level, I think you've got to sometimes swallow your pride and make that decision."
Brendan Rodgers' side struggled last season in the face of a number of injuries, but still secured an eighth-placed finish while progressing to the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League. Maddison racked up 30 goal contributions in all competitions, and was voted as the club's player of the season.
Arsenal and Tottenham are among the clubs to have recently been linked with the attacking midfielder, who has two years left on his contract. Barton has praised Newcastle's ambition in attempting to land Maddison, and believes the 25-year-old is the 'right calibre' of target required for Howe's side to progress.
Barton said: "I think he's a very talented player. Obviously with his age and what he's already accomplished, I think it again shows the ambition of the club and Eddie.
"The players he wants to bring in are young, hungry but already good players. I'm excited, I don't want to get too carried away but if you put him into that area with Bruno and our other midfield players, he's a little bit of an x-factor.
"I think he can play as an eight or a 10. Particularly at home where you think teams are going to make it difficult for us, they're going to sit back. He's a player who can find a pass, make a pass, and run in behind and hurt them.
"I think it would be a really smart move, in January they went and got the players they needed. Now, to make that next step up, you go and get someone like him.
"It just shows fans they want to bring the right calibre of players into the club. Let's just keep our fingers crossed because I think he will be a very smart signing."
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