"You cannot say it could work with another club" - Ex-Chelsea star makes bold claim on James Maddison's form at Tottenham
Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has shared his thoughts on James Maddison's excellent start to life at Tottenham Hotspur.
Maddison arrived at Spurs from Leicester City for £40 million in the summer and has been exceptional since. He has scored three goals and provided five assists in nine Premier League games this season. He has also created the most number of chances in the league this season, with 29.
Many consider Maddison to be the signing of the summer so far. Some asked how Tottenham faced no competition in the Englishman's signing. Former Chelsea defender Laboeuf has provided his thoughts on the same, telling ESPN FC:
“It works with Spurs maybe it wouldn’t have worked with another club with another coach another tactic. He didn’t work at Leicester, I mean, we never saw Maddison like that. Maybe it was not suitable for him."
“The football that Postecoglou wants to put into the field matches exactly with the talent of Maddison so it works. You cannot say that it could work with another club.”
James Maddison scored 55 goals and provided 41 assists in 203 games for Leicester City after joining them from Norwich City in 2018.
Why Chelsea decided against signing James Maddison in the summer
The Blues have spent over £1 billion in transfer fees since Todd Boehly and Co.'s takeover last summer. They have brought in a lot of players and were also linked with a move for James Maddison.
However, as per The Telegraph, they decided against signing him. This is because the Englishman will turn 27 in November, which isn't in line with Chelsea's transfer model of signing players under 25 years of age.
The Blues have signed a lot of young players this summer like Romeo Lavia (19), Moises Caicedo (21), and Nicolas Jackson (22). They are hoping to build a long-term project under Mauricio Pochettino after a terrible last season where they finished 12th in the league.
Chelsea haven't fared much better this season either and are 10th in the league, eight points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.
James Maddison, meanwhile, has helped Tottenham to an unbeaten start after nine games as they sit atop the standings.