Newcastle United’s £40 million bid for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison is a large indicator of what Leeds United are up against in the Premier League. The Magpies saw their offer for Maddison rejected by Leicester with the Foxes quoting a valuation of around £60 million.
While Maddison is undoubtedly worth every penny of Leicester’s large asking price, the money being branded around for a single player is just something Leeds can’t compete with. The Whites have shopped entirely in the foreign market so far this summer and with a striker and left back still to bring in, it is hard to see them moving away from that strategy.
Premier League experience is often a term branded out to sides at Leeds’ level, but genuine quality Premier League experience comes at a large cost that they just can’t afford. Victor Orta, like he has done all summer, is going to have to rely on his quality scouting network to bring in a striker and left back that are of the desired level.
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Until February, there was not much to split Newcastle and Leeds last season, but their bid for Maddison is just more evidence of what Jesse Marsch’s side are up against in the Premier League. When mid-table sides like the Magpies and Aston Villa are able to attract stars like Philippe Coutinho, Sven Botman and potentially Maddison, it makes progression hard for clubs like Leeds.
On paper, the business that Leeds have conducted this summer looks intelligent and exciting but bringing in a large volume of players from leagues across Europe brings about its own risk. And risks are what Leeds are going to have to take in order to compete in their third year in the Premier League.
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