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The four Arsenal players Leicester have 'rejected in James Maddison swap offer'
Leicester have rejected all four players Arsenal have offered them in part-exchange for James Maddison, according to reports.
Transfer update: Arsenal 'plan' player-plus-cash Maddison move
Arsenal have reportedly offered four players in part-exchange for James Maddison - and Leicester have no interest in any of them. Arsenal are claimed to have made their first offer for Maddison earlier this week. The Gunners are in the market for an attacking midfielder.
Martin Odegaard was their top target following his loan spell at the club in the second half of last season.
But Maddison has now emerged as an alternative to the Norway international.
Leicester will not sell the 24-year-old cheaply though, with three years still remaining on his contract at the King Power.
Football.london revealed on Tuesday Arsenal had offered a cash-plus-player deal for Maddison.
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And now they have named four players who the Gunners attempted to include in a deal.
The quartet are Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah.
Maitland-Niles, Willock and Nelson have entered the final two years of their contracts, whereas Nketiah is in the last year of his.
However, football.london says Leicester are not interested in any of the four.
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Leicester would prefer a straight cash deal, with £60m the minimum they would want for Maddison.
Odegaard remains an option after reports he is considering his future at Real Madrid.
But Maddison has overtaken the Norwegian as the preferred target.
Arsenal have already made three signings this summer in Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ben White.
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Former Tottenham striker and Gunners fan Darren Bent believes Maddison would be a top signing.
However, the pundit reckons there are other areas where Arsenal need to strengthen more.
Bent would like to see Arteta add another player in central midfield, as well as bring in a right-back.
“[Maddison] is a fantastic player. I’d love to see him in an Arsenal shirt, but I believe there’s other positions that are probably more important than maybe getting that playmaker,” Bent told talkSPORT.
“We’ve just seen [Emile] Smith Rowe, who was brilliant last season, signing a new contract.
“We’ve still got [Bukayo] Saka there too.
“Of course you want good players in, and Maddison is a very good player, but maybe another central midfielder?
“Maybe a right-back? A right-back would be important.”
Arsenal have three right-backs on their books but Hector Bellerin remains a target for Inter Milan.