Arsenal told they must pay £61 million to sign 26-year-old midfielder amid crisis at his current club: Reports

Leicester City have reportedly set a price tag of £61 million for James Maddison, who has been linked with a permanent transfer to Arsenal.

Maddison, 26, has been one of the standout players in the Premier League since joining the Foxes from Norwich City for £20 million in the summer of 2018. He has helped his current club lift two trophies, including their first-ever FA Cup crown in the 2020-21 campaign.

A right-footed creative midfielder renowned for his set-pieces, the two-cap England international has been rumored to move away from the King Power Stadium since last summer. Despite Leicester's fall from grace this term, he has registered nine goals and six assists in 23 Premier League appearances so far.

According to Todofichajes, the Leicester hierarchy have decided to cash in on several of their first-team stars in the upcoming summer transfer window. With the club in the relegation zone, the top brass are said to be open to entering negotiations for Maddison for a transfer offer in the region of £61 million.

Both Arsenal and Newcastle United are keen to add Maddison to their ranks ahead of the 2023-24 season. However, a sizeable price tag for the former Coventry City midfielder could prove to be a problem.

Should Maddison join Arsenal this summer, he would provide solid competition to Martin Odegaard in the advanced playmaker role. He could also feature as a right-sided central midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation.

Maddison, who has a deal until June 2024 with the Foxes, was a part of England's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad. After missing out on his team's first two group-stage matches due to a knee problem, he was named on the bench on three occasions at the quadrennial tournament.

Overall, Maddison has scored 54 goals and contributed 38 assists in 196 matches across all competitions for Dean Smith's outfit so far.

Gary Neville makes bold PL title prediction involving both Arsenal and Manchester City

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, Manchester United great Gary Neville said that Manchester City will beat Arsenal to the Premier League title. Following the Gunners' 2-2 draw at Liverpool, he said:

"I have thought all the way through that Manchester City would just edge it. I haven't changed my opinion after today or even altered it slightly because I still think there will be points dropped from each side in next six weeks, but I think Arsenal will drop more points."

The Gunners are atop the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 73 points from 30 games. City are six points behind with a game in hand.