Rodgers puts foot down with strong warning to keep Arsenal at bay
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has reiterated his stance that James Maddison will not be moving to Arsenal after stressing that the club does not need to sell anyone.
The Foxes are currently preparing for the new Premier League season, with the added bonus of another Europa League campaign. It seemed likely they would qualify for the Champions League but were nudged out of the top four right at the death. The East Midlanders have been busy recruiting new stars in the off-season.
Patson Daka arrived from RB Salzburg while Boubakary Soumare moved to the King Power Stadium from Lille. Ryan Bertrand was a free-agent capture and others have been linked to the FA Cup winners.
However, Leicester’s recent success means their players are also on the radar of other clubs. Maddison’s name has been mentioned in connection with the Gunners for some time.
And last month it was reported by 90min that the club was willing to listen to offers for the talented playmaker. However, that appears to be wide of the mark.
Rodgers spoke to the media after Leicester’s 3-3 friendly draw with Queens Park Rangers at the weekend. And he made it clear that none of his big-name stars are planning to leave.
“In conversations with the club, we don’t have to sell. That’s something that’s been made clear,” he said. The players want to stay. It’s a really exciting time at the club.
“There’s lots of gossip and speculation around but I’m loving working with the guys here, they love being here, and we certainly have no need to sell.
“So I would suspect we’re looking to keep our best players.”
Maddison absence explained
Social media went into overdrive on Saturday as Maddison was left out of the Foxes squad to play Rangers. It was suggested he was busy sorting out a move to the Emirates.
But, as Rodgers explained, it was an issue unconnected with football.
“James was going to play but his partner Kennedy went into labour,” he said. “Family is more important than football. I haven’t heard any news yet but hopefully he’ll become a father today, if he’s not already.”
Maddison suffered a series of niggling injuries last term that affected his form. But he still managed to bag eight goals from 31 Premier League appearances.
However, it was not enough to earn him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2020. He is currently stuck on one cap but will hope to add to that in the near future.
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