Liverpool should splash out to bring Leicester City midfielder James Maddison to Anfield, according to former winger Jimmy Carter.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have only added one player to their squad so far this summer – 17-year-old Sepp van den Berg – with the club expected to do more business involving both arrivals and departures before the transfer window ends.
Speaking to Love Sport Radio, Carter – who made five appearances for Liverpool in 1991 before joining Arsenal – said that one signing Klopp should target is England Under-21 international Maddison, 22.
“James Maddison seems like a perfect fit for Liverpool,” the pundit said. “For me if Liverpool were to get him, they’re talking about £70-75million. I would pay £100m to get James Maddison into the midfield at Liverpool, and he would be an instant success.”
“He would be a remarkable player and acquisition for Liverpool FC. I would love to see James Maddison slot into that midfield.”
OPINION
Carter is exactly right with these comments, Maddison would fit very well into this Liverpool team. Since Philippe Coutinho left for Barcelona, they have missed the presence of a dynamic attacking midfielder who can really turn the screw. While it has not hampered them too much – their deadly front three seemed to manage fine last season – it would add that extra threat and make them even more dangerous. And bringing in Maddison would definitely tick all these boxes. The 22-year-old scored seven goals and assisted seven others in 36 Premier League appearances last term, showing he has an eye for goal and can set up his teammates too. What’s more, Maddison made – on average – 2.8 key passes per game in the top flight as well as 1.9 crosses, while his overall pass accuracy was 83.8%. These statistics prove that he is that dynamic midfielder who could really get the best out of Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino, as Coutinho did in seasons gone by.
