Brendan Rodgers braced for January interest in James Maddison

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Brendan Rodgers braced for January interest in James Maddison

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted he is expecting interest in midfielder James Maddison in January.

The 25-year-old has been among the Premier League's top performers this season, racking up five goals and two assists in seven appearances this season, maintaining the red-hot form that saw him end the previous campaign with four goals and three assists in his final four games.

Maddison, who remains out of the England setup, is approaching the final 18 months of his contract with Leicester, and while the Foxes are trying to tie him down to a new deal, there are plenty of sides interested in luring the playmaker away.

Tottenham are long-term admirers while 90min understands that Newcastle are ready to pursue a double swoop for both Maddison and Leicester teammate Youri Tielemans, whose contract is up in the summer.

Asked about potential January interest in Maddison, Rodgers conceded: "I would think [there would be].

"My job is to coach him every day and make him the best he can be. It's only natural you want your absolute best players to be here, and we keep saying that, but we keep losing them. He's never a player you would want to lose.

"The beauty of James, and it's the same with this England scenario, is that it hasn't affected him. That's where you see the level of maturity.

"What we've seen in the past is, sadly, players are linked with all sorts of clubs because an agent has to create a market, and then when it doesn't come off, you see the player disappointed. It's never been like that, and James has been linked with loads of clubs. But he's a realist.

"He also knows he's in a good place to develop and learn, and he knows he can focus on day-to-day life and improve. What will be in the future will be, but it will only be on the back of playing well."