Arsenal submit first bid for James Maddison

Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Kylian Mbappe. Arsenal has always had those reportedly so close transfers but crumbled at the finish line. So naturally, there's always skepticism about Arsenal being linked with a player who has a massive price tag. James Maddison from Leicester City is just another of those names added to a long list of "what if" players to join Arsenal.

A central attacking midfielder who Leicester City bought from Norwich City for £22.5m in 2018 is now a significant puzzle piece that is the missing formula for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Chief Reporter of football.london Chris Wheatley reported that Arsenal submitted a cash deal plus a player for Maddison. He went on to add, "I'm told negotiations are 'very slow' and 'like a game of chess' but the player is keen on a move to North London."

Other media outlets reported, like The Guardian, that James Maddison is keen on joining the Gunners. Arsenal was abysmal in the final third last season and relied heavily on their strikers to produce goals from difficult situations. It may have been a different scenario in the second half of the season if Real Madrid loanee Martin Ødegaard was able to remain healthy and supported some of the burdens that fellow attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe had to carry in the final third.

One of the most surprising factors in this deal's potential for neutrals is that Maddison wants to join a club that has no European competition to participate in in the upcoming season. Still, many forget how dominant Arsenal has been in the Premier League. The biggest surprise is the fact that they finished 8th in back-to-back seasons. Another factor that Premier League fans aren't considering is that Leicester City has had a massive sale each summer window in the last few seasons, whether it be N'golo Kanté, Riyad Mahrez, Harry Maguire, and Ben Chilwell all departing.

So could this window be James Maddison's farewell to the Foxes? It's possible, especially since he won an FA Cup with Leicester City and earned them another year in the Europa League. The problem that Arsenal will now face is that Leicester is powerful in negotiating top dollar for their players should they depart. Recent sales prove that, but after signing Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumaré, and Ryan Bertrand, they will most likely be asking a minimum of £60m.

The news of Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka signing a new long-term contract will help boost the Gunners signing an attacking midfielder because that's money now saved that won't be needed to spend on another holding midfielder. The main focus has to be on an attacking midfielder, and like previously stated, trying to sign Martin Ødegaard on a permanent deal from Real Madrid looks complicated. Still, it's not entirely out of the question. Arsenal appears to be rearing all its focus on James Maddison at the moment, who is still only 24 years old.

It won't be easy, though; as Wheatley said, this will be a true chess game for both clubs. Arsenal is looking to strike a bargain or fair evaluation of Maddison, but Leicester is looking to make a massive profit if they lose a star-caliber player. So what it comes down to is how long Arsenal is willing to play this game of 'chess'? With less than two weeks before the start of the season and now less than three weeks before a big matchup against Chelsea, Arsenal can't afford to drag on a transfer like this, especially since they have other areas like right-back and a backup goalkeeper position to fill.

There is no denying (based on multiple reports) that Maddison is excited about the project that Arsenal is building under Arteta, but will Leicester City stop that potential dream project for Maddison from coming to fruition? The ball is in Leicester's court, and at the moment, there seems to be no clear path being made. Unless the smoke screens clear, this deal may be difficult to achieve, but never say never when it comes to an Arsenal transfer.