West Ham United are "interested" in James Maddison and would "enter the discussion" if a deal is agreed for Declan Rice, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.
West Ham United transfer news – what's the latest on James Maddison?
Declan Rice's departure from West Ham has already become the summer's biggest transfer story, with Arsenal and Manchester City seeing their £90m bids rejected by the Irons over the last seven days.
While David Moyes and Co. will be smiling at the thought of a possible £100m bid for their star, they will want the deal to be concluded as quickly as possible as they have their own business to attend to over the summer, business that will heavily rely upon the sale of their club captain.
The names consistently linked with the East London side over the last few weeks have been similar in profile, hard-working, defensively solid midfielders, names like Joao Palhinha, James Ward-Prowse and Amadou Onana, to name but a few.
However, one name linked to the club could have Hammers everywhere very excited, Maddison.
Despite their relegation to the Championship last season, Leicester City have set the price tag for their prized asset at £60m, per the Telegraph.
West Ham will have to compete with the likes of Newcastle United, who have the player 'at the top' of their summer wishlist and Tottenham Hotspur, who are also keen on the player.
However, with the money from Rice soon to be burning a hole in their pockets, maybe they snatch the player from under the opposition's noses.
What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about James Maddison to West Ham United?
Jones has highlighted that while the Hammers are certainly interested in the services of the England international, they must conclude their business regarding Rice before splashing the cash on a player like him.
Writing for GIVEMESPORT, he said: "West Ham United are another club interested in Maddison and while they are certainly outsiders for now, they would enter the discussions if possible after a Declan Rice exit is sorted."
Would James Maddison be a good deal for West Ham United?
Although, the Hammers' chances of even getting a sniff of signing him look very slim as he's supposedly getting closer and closer to joining Tottenham Hotspur.
While the most logical replacement for a player such as Rice would probably be a more defensively-minded midfielder than Maddison, the Hammers massively struggled to create chances last season, and so should they have the opportunity to tackle that deficiency with the capture of the ex-Norwich City gem, they should.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Maddison sits in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, assists, expected non-penalty goals and assists, shot-creating actions, all per 90
He also had a great personal season last year, despite playing for an incredibly dysfunctional Foxes side. According to WhoScored, the 5 foot 9 dynamo managed a genuinely impressive average match rating of 7.24 across his 30 Premier League appearances.
It's unsurprising then that his former Brendon Rodgers hailed the player as "one of the best in the Premier League" last season.
The biggest hurdle for the East London club in their pursuit of Maddison isn't the fee of £60m, it's the competition they'll face to secure his signature, but if Moyes can work his magic and convince him that joining his project at the London Stadium is a good idea, the club will look much, much better for it.