Leicester City can replace James Maddison with statement January transfer

But also, there was a void that maybe he felt he was the best option to fill. City sold James Maddison, their best player, in the summer and didn’t sign an exact replacement. Cesare Casadei was brought in, but is a different midfielder to Maddison, the Italian at his best when he’s making runs off the ball and getting himself into the box.

The other forward-thinking midfielders are Wilfred Ndidi, a player who has been converted from a deep-lying, defence-shielding role, and Dennis Praet, who has been picked out by Maresca as the most technical of the options available, but has never shown the qualities in the box to get decent numbers of goals and assists. Without anybody to do what Maddison did, it felt like Dewsbury-Hall tried to be his successor, hence the shooting from range and the occasional moments of over-playing, rather than taking the simple pass.

Dewsbury-Hall has learned now and is performing better for it. His assist numbers have shot up, while he’s still been able to get plenty of goals too, through runs into the box to latch onto passes, crosses, and rebounds, rather than by blasting them in from 25 yards.

But maybe, to help him out, City could do with signing someone who is closer in profile to Maddison. Of course, City aren’t desperate for a new midfielder this January as regards their promotion push, but it does feel like none of Ndidi, Praet, nor Casadei are perfect for the job Maresca is giving them. Plus, the manager did want another midfielder in the summer, with Manchester City’s James McAtee close to joining in the final week before switching to Sheffield United instead.

Maresca has said that there is always room for improvement, even for a side at the top of the table, and it does feel like an attacking midfielder in the style of Maddison, who can deliver goals and assists, would be a way to generate that improvement. Transfer gossip last month suggests City may have their eye on someone.

If City were to sign a Maddison-type, they need a player who is excellent at receiving the ball in tight, advanced areas and wriggling into space, a player who can weave in and out of defences, who can provide the cutting-edge passes into the box, and who can score goals, whether from 20 yards or five. Bodo/Glimt’s Albert Gronbaek does all of that.