Premier League clubs are likely to eye Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison on a bargain deal in the summer if they get relegated, but there is a strong chance he rejects an exit, according to an industry insider.
The north London club have had a horrific campaign so far and currently sit just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League, ahead of a trip to Anfield on Sunday afternoon, while they are also on the brink of elimination in the Champions League following a 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Last 16 clash in midweek.
That has sparked major question marks about the future of several first-team stars, with a number of clubs circling for potential bargains if they do end up in the Championship, and that includes players who haven't even been involved.
James Maddison Likely to Be Wanted
Maddison has been absent for the entire season so far, having suffered a ruptured ACL during pre-season under Thomas Frank, but he is one of the club's biggest earners on £170,000-a-week.
That means that an exit away could be appealing for Spurs to help balance the books and reset if they go down, but it's also likely that the club will be keen to keep as many of their best players as they can to ensure they bounce straight back up to the top flight.
Now, while ex-scout Mick Brown was speaking to Football Insider, he revealed that there is a 'strong chance' the England international stays put rather than leaves as he continues his recovery to get back to his best.
“Maddison is going to be an interesting one,” he said.
“If the reports on his recovery are positive and he returns for Tottenham in pre-season, there could be an opportunity to bring in him on a bargain deal. If Tottenham are relegated, they’re going to struggle to keep hold of players and they’ll have to sell, so the opportunity will be there for clubs like Villa.
“From Maddison’s point of view, though, I think there’s a strong possibility he could stay at Spurs.
“The major factor for him is getting back fit and playing, and I would think he needs a good pre-season to get back playing first and foremost."
Maddison Would Be a Hero If He Stayed
While the priority of everyone at Tottenham would be to stay in the Premier League and avoid this situation entirely, the reality is that they are in freefall, and it is hard to see a way out for them right now unless something changes.
The club are in active talks to replace Igor Tudor in case the bad form continues, but any replacement would have a huge task on their hands to steady the ship and find some momentum.
Should they get relegated, then the expectation would be that a number of players move on to play at the highest level. But if players like Maddison were open to staying to get the team back to the top-flight then it would undoubtedly make them heroes in the history of the club to fans, and after his injury-hit campaign, it could be perfect for the playmaker to do just that.