Toon want £50m Maddison

NEWCASTLE are considering an improved offer for James Maddison, after Leicester rejected their £35million bid for the England international.

Super-rich Newcastle saw their bid for Maddison turned down, as Leicester hold out for £50m-plus for the 25-year-old.

But that’s unlikely to deter Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, who is keen to add more attacking firepower to his squad.

With less than a week to go until the Magpies kick off their Premier League campaign at home against promoted Nottingham Forest, Howe is having to widen his net.

Maddison has less than two years remaining on his contract at Leicester. He finished last season on a high, scoring in each of the final four league matches and ending with 18 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

With Leicester desperate to hang on to Maddison and playing hardball, Newcastle are also poised to put in bids for Foxes’ flier Harvey Barnes and Burnley winger Maxwel Cornet.

Barnes, 24, signed a four-year deal last summer and Leicester reckon that Barnes is worth £60m.

For Cornet, Newcastle would prefer not to pay the entirety of the Ivory Coast international’s £17.5m release clause in one go. It is thought that Burnley would accept closer to £25m over a longer period.

However, Newcastle are restricted by financial spending rules and sources say a deal for Cornet — who was left out of the Burnley squad for Friday night’s 1-0 win at Huddersfield — is in the balance.

Cornet only joined the Clarets last summer from Lyon for £13m. He was their top scorer with nine

goals, but that was not enough to prevent Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League.

Newcastle, boosted by their new Saudi owners’ wealth, have made three signings so far this summer, making a loan deal for Aston Villa’s Matt Targett permanent while securing the services of England keeper Nick Pope from Burnley and Dutch centre back Sven Botman from Lille.

But Newcastle’s fourth summer arrival was always meant to be a striker.

Howe feels the needs a new centre forward and better goalscoring options because of persistent injury concerns over Callum Wilson.

Wilson has missed 32 games in two seasons due to injury, while Chris Wood scored just two goals in 17 games and Joelinton only four Premier League goals in the

whole of last term.