James Maddison should renew his contract with Leicester City, but Brendan Rodgers won’t “beg” the England international to do so.
In a deal reportedly worth £20 million, Leicester acquired Maddison from Norwich City in 2018. Since then, he has developed into one of the top attacking midfielders in the Premier League.
Maddison has struggled with injuries this season, but in his previous 19 Premier League starts, he has been a part of 21 goals, scoring 13 and setting up another eight.
Only six players have more goal involvements in the top division this season than Maddison, and all of them have played at least 500 more minutes than Maddison.
“It’s been a conversation the club have been having with his representatives for a while, so nothing’s changed there,” Rodgers told reporters ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United.
“His contract is clear where it’s at. For me, it’s about making sure James is playing at the best level he can be, and thankfully he’s doing just that. He’s staying available and fit.
“It’d be great [if he signed a new deal]. He’s a top player in the league, he’s shown that in his time here, gradually.
“You can see that development take place. We improve players and give them great conditions to work in, but I won’t be begging a player to stay.
“They get great support here and if they’ve been here, they understand what the club is about. This is a great club, great facilities and they have to understand that.
“But it’s a short career and they have to think about the future. I understand what they’re thinking.”
However, the forthcoming match at Old Trafford is more urgent than contract negotiations.
Following recent fitness issues, Rodgers anticipates having Youri Tielemans, Boubakary Soumare, and Maddison available for the match. Maddison’s goalless streak of eight games against United is his worst against any Premier League club.
Despite not having won three straight games since January 2021, Leicester enters the game with a recent run of two victories in the Premier League.
