Newcastle United lead the race for long-term transfer target amid Spurs interest

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘leading the race’ to sign one of their long-term transfer targets this summer.

Just under 12 months have passed since the Magpies made three unsuccessful bids to sign Leicester City playmaker James Maddison and there were suggestions further attempts were made to land the England star during the January transfer window.

United’s interest in the former Norwich City and Coventry City player has remained strong and hopes over securing a deal were raised when Leicester were relegated from the Premier League last month. Maddison is set to be one of a number of players to depart the King Power Stadium over the coming weeks and months as the Foxes prepare for life in the Championship.

One reported Magpies target has already departed after Belgium international Youri Tielemans completed a move to Aston Villa as his current contract entered its final fortnight. The midfielder was believed to have admirers within the St James Park hierarchy but any interest waned after his form dipped severely over the last 12 months.

But Maddison remains very much on the agenda for Newcastle as they look to add further attacking talent to their squad in preparation for what will be a hectic season following their successful bid to qualify for the Champions League. Despite his team’s struggles, Maddison still posted some impressive figures as he scored ten goals and provided nine assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes.

He broke his silence on the relegation earlier this month in a post on his social media outlets, saying: “Absolutely devastated to be relegated from the Premier League. I’ve took a bit of time to reflect on the outcome of the season and to be honest it doesn’t make it any easier at all. This will hurt for a very long time and probably stick with us all forever.

“But that’s life and it’s about how you bounce back from setbacks and failure and unfortunately that’s exactly what this season was, a failure. We should never have been in the position we were with the players we have. But we take responsibility for that and the negativity that comes with it and continue to stick together.”

Sky Sports News have now reported Newcastle are the frontrunners to land Maddison and hand him an immediate return to the Premier League and their qualification for the Champions League has given them an edge of fellow admirers Tottenham Hotspur.

The North London outfit will not compete in European competition this season after finishing in eighth place in the Premier League - but there were hopes the appointment of former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou may boost their chances of landing Maddison.