Newcastle United missed out on James Maddison to Tottenham Hotspur last year, and now a similar situation could arise this summer.

The Magpies were heavily linked with signing James Maddison from Leicester City, only for Tottenham Hotspur to land the England international.

There were claims that the attacking midfielder was interested in a move to Tyneside, only for Spurs to offer a more financially appealing deal. It was also reported that Newcastle distanced themselves from Maddison in order to land Sandro Tonali from AC Milan.

Maddison has since proven that he probably would have been a hit at St James’ Park, even if his recent trip to the North East was one to forget. He was pretty woeful during Newcastle’s 4-0 win over Spurs earlier this month.

After Newcastle and Tottenham battled for Maddison in 2023, the two clubs could once again be braced to go head-to-head in the transfer market this summer.

That is because both the Magpies and Spurs have been linked with signing Conor Gallagher from Chelsea.

There were reports earlier this year that Tottenham are planning to bid for the 24-year-old, while he is a player who Newcastle United officials really like and have scouted this season.

It has been claimed that Gallagher will cost around £40million, with a move away from Stamford Bridge very likely unless he signs a new deal. His current contract expires in 2025, meaning Chelsea either need to cash in or give him an extension.

Who Conor Gallagher is more likely to join this summer

For PSR reasons, a move away from Chelsea feels like the most likely outcome. That could mean Eddie Howe has the chance to sign a player who he has targeted throughout his Toon tenure.

However, a new report from Dean Jones and Give Me Sport has suggested that a move to Tottenham for Gallagher is more probable than a transfer to Tyneside.

“New links have started between Conor Gallagher and Newcastle, and it does not surprise me they would have interest, but I am not sure how far I would expect that to go,” he said.

“Obviously, Gallagher doesn’t want to leave Chelsea. He can’t even think about it at the moment, as far as I’ve heard, because he just doesn’t want it to happen.

“But if he does leave Chelsea, I have heard that him moving that far away from his family would not be ideal. I think another club in London could work better, and we know Spurs are keen and that his homegrown status would help them.”

Newcastle do not need Gallagher

Jones believes that Gallagher would prefer to stay in the south for family reasons, and that is understandable. It is also nothing to worry about, as Gallagher is not a player who the Magpies need this summer.

A new centre-midfielder is no longer a priority, with Eddie Howe possibly having seven senior players in that position to pick from next season.

It is difficult to see what Gallagher could bring to the table that would be different to what we already have. He is not good enough on the ball for where we want to be as a club, even if he does have the running power to thrive in an Eddie Howe team.

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