Shaka Hislop has hailed James Maddison for taking his game to a new level since his switch to Tottenham but expressed doubts as to whether the attacking midfielder would have had similar success at Chelsea.
There is no doubt that several clubs across the Premier League will be ruing the fact that they allowed Spurs to have a relatively free run at Maddison, with the £45m deal undoubtedly representing the bargain of the summer.
The former Leicester City star has not only made Tottenham tick as an attacking unit, with three goals and four assists to his name so far this season, but he has also emerged as one of the leaders of the Spurs side both on and off the pitch.
The Telegraph revealed back in September that Maddison was on Chelsea’s radar in the summer but they decided against signing the midfielder due to his age.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 23: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal with teammate Son Heung-Min during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 23, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Would Maddison have been a hit at Chelsea?
The outlet explained that the Blues owners have a policy of not signing anyone over the age of 25, which is why they turned down the chance to make a move for the Tottenham man, who is 26 years of age.
Speaking about Chelsea’s decision to pass up on Maddison, Hislop has now told the ESPN FC podcast: “Maddison was a good player in an average team, you saw that at Leicester when he wasn’t able to do much.
“Those concerns are absolutely genuine, but he has been outstanding, he really has. He drops so deep and then also finds himself on Son’s shoulder. Chelsea apparently refused to sign him because 25 is their limit and he’s 26. Well, if that’s their policy that’s their policy.
“I just don’t think given where Chelsea were and a genuine feeling about James Maddison, he probably wouldn’t fit the bill, but now, all of a sudden, a lot of people shared that opinion of James Maddison, and he has changed opinions.”
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I suspect that the reason the likes of Man Utd, Newcastle and Arsenal did not get involved in the race for Maddison’s signature was because they saw him as more of a number ten rather than a number eight.
However, the 26-year-old has proved them wrong with the way he has received the ball in deep areas at Spurs and helped progress the team up the pitch, which is why the aforementioned sides will undoubtedly be ruing the fact that they passed up on him.
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