- Rodgers acknowledges interest
- Blames agents for causing Leicester unrest
- Says Maddison would be tough to replace
WHAT HAPPENED? Brendan Rodgers was asked in his press conference on Saturday about the possibility of losing James Maddison amid interest from Arsenal and Tottenham, but the Leicester manager hopes he can keep the English midfielder.
WHAT THEY SAID: “I would think [there would be interest]," Rodgers said. "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.
"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 [with Maddison so far]."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: With Arsenal and Tottenham both spending big in the latest transfer window, it seems unlikely that either of the London clubs will be able to afford Maddison's high price tag until next summer.
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DID YOU KNOW? Maddison is Leicester's top scorer this season with five goals and is equal with Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus in the Premier League charts.
WHAT NEXT FOR MADDISON? With the World Cup on the horizon, Maddison will be focused on playing his best football to try and get on the plane to Qatar.