Brendan Rodgers issues contract warning to Newcastle United transfer target James Maddison

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted he will not beg Newcastle United target James Maddison to remain at the King Power Stadium.

There had been reports earlier this week suggesting the England star had reopened talks about extending his current deal with the Foxes, which is set to come to expire at the end of next season.

Maddison has become a key figure within Rodgers’ since ever since he joined Leicester in a £20m deal from Norwich City in the summer of 2018. The attacking midfielder has gone on to score 54 goals and provide 37 assists in 189 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes and has helped the club claim their first ever FA Cup Final win when they saw off Chelsea with a 1-0 Wembley win in 2021.

Maddison’s form has attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs with Arsenal and Manchester City both suggested as possible destinations over the coming months. Newcastle’s interest was sparked last summer and it was reported the Magpies had made several unsuccessful offers for the 26-year-old last summer.

United’s interest is believed to remain alive and there are hopes they can negotiate a most cost-effective deal for Maddison when he enters the final 12 months of his existing deal this summer. When asked about the midfielder’s future in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United, Foxes manager Rodgers revealed his is in ‘constant dialogue’ with Maddison - but revealed he will not beg his prize asset to remain with the club.

He said: “We’ve got a whole host of players out of contract over the next 15 or 16 months so it’s very important that there’s discussions between representatives of the club and the player - but that connection between the player and the manager is also very important. It’s a constant dialogue.

“It would be great (if Maddison signed a new deal), he’s a top player in the league and he has shown that in his time here, gradually. Since when he came in, looking at the position he’s in now, you can see that development take place, so that’s the type of club we are.

“We will develop players, we will give them conditions to work in but I won’t be begging for a player to stay. This is a great club, they get great support here on the pitch, off the pitch, and if you’ve been here for a while you understand what the club is about and where it wants to go.

“The players careers are short, they always have to think of the future but as long as that concentration and focus is here whilst they are here, that’s all I ask.”