Newcastle United transfer target James Maddison 'seemed open' to a move away from Leicester City this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Eddie Howe has overseen a quiet few months at St James’ Park but a big-name signing is still a possibility ahead of the September 1 deadline.

What is the latest news on Maddison?

Newcastle have launched two sizeable bids for Maddison’s services already this summer and failed in both attempts, the latter of which being worth around £50 million.

Leicester are reportedly asking for £60 million, according to Football Insider, with the 25-year-old a top target of Howe’s.

The Newcastle manager is keen to bolster his attacking options this summer with the club also targeting Leeds winger Jack Harrison and Everton’s Anthony Gordon.

He has only added three new names to his squad since the end of last season with Nick Pope, Matt Targett and Sven Botman all arriving.

What has Jones said on Newcastle’s pursuit?

Jones understands that the player previously seemed open to moving to St James’ Park which encouraged the Magpies to launch a bid for the player.

He says their hope was to unsettle the situation in the East Midlands but that has not materialised.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Maddison seemed open to a transfer and so they felt that by making an offer to Leicester they might be able to unsettle things a little bit and force something to happen. It hasn't worked out that way.”

Should Newcastle make another move?

If Maddison is a top target of Howe’s then it seems like they should at least make one more attempt to sign him before the window closes.

Newcastle are heading in the right direction but Maddison is a player with the potential to take them to another level, given his consistent excellence in and around the penalty area. He has previously been described as world class by England manager Gareth Southgate too.

Last season saw him score 18 goals and provide 12 assists in what was a pretty underwhelming season for Leicester. It took his professional career tally to 68 goals.

In the grand scheme of things, paying just £10 million more than they have already offered to land a player with such game-changing potential seems like a no-brainer from the outside.

But they have shown this window that they will not be held to ransom and have so far acted shrewdly in the market. It will be interesting to see if that approach changes in these final weeks.