How Norwich City turned £2.5m Coventry City swoop into huge transfer fee.
In recent years, Norwich City has been an outstanding destination for talent trying to establish themselves, and James Maddison of Tottenham and England is unquestionably one of their best.
The creative midfielder began his professional career with hometown club Coventry City in 2014, before moving to Carrow Road in 2016.
Just one full season later, the Canaries were able to secure a reported £20 million fee for the then-21-year-old midfielder as he moved up to the Premier League with Leicester City.
James Maddison proved a bargain buy for the Canaries
Maddison joined Norwich from Coventry in January 2016 for a reported £2.5 million deal, and he was promptly loaned back to the Sky Blues before spending the first part of the 2016/17 season on loan with Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen. After four goals and ten assists in Scotland and the Championship, Maddison was promoted to the Norwich starting XI for the 2017/18 season.
Starting 42 games in all, the youthful midfielder thrived as the vital cog in an underperforming Norwich team that finished 14th.
Maddison scored 14 Championship goals and assisted eight others throughout the season. His passing eye, quick feet, and enormous set-piece ability shone through in an otherwise poor season for Daniel Farke’s team.
| James Maddison’s 17/18 Championship stats for Norwich City, as per FotMob | |
| Appearances | 44 |
| Goals | 14 |
| Assists | 8 |
| Shots on target | 30 |
| Chances created | 124 |
| Successful crosses | 58 |
| Successful dribbles | 104 |
| Fouls won | 2 |
He won Norwich’s Player of the Season award, was named to the EFL and PFA Championship Teams of the Season, and was nominated for EFL Young Player of the Season. Norwich, who appeared to be a step above in the Championship, went on to make a lot of money on the midfielder they had signed only two years before.
Big money for Norwich – Top-flight stardom for Maddison
Leicester City signed the kid in the summer of 2018, investing £20 million to find a new talisman after Riyad Mahrez moved to Manchester City. He made an early impact on the team, scoring in a 2-0 win over newly promoted Wolves in only his second league game, giving Leicester their first victory of the season.
The playmaker scored seven goals and assisted seven times in his first Premier League season, helping Leicester finish ninth under Brendan Rodgers.
| James Maddison – Leicester City league goals and appearances (per Fbref.com) | ||||
| Season | Appearances (Starts) | Goals (Appearances) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 36 (35) | 7 (7) | ||
| 2019-20 | 31 (29) | 6 (3) | ||
| 2020-21 | 31 (24) | 8 (5) | ||
| 2021-22 | 35 (28) | 12 (8) | ||
| 2022-23 | 30 (28) | 10 (9) | ||
And he continued to improve under Rogers, with Maddison prospering as the Foxes finished fifth in two consecutive Premier League seasons. Maddison, who is competing in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will leave Leicester at the end of the 2022/23 season after the club’s shock relegation from the Premier League.
Maddison joined Tottenham in the summer of 2023 for a £40 million price and has since played a significant role in the club’s return to the Champions League as a result of their Europa League victory, with the midfielder scoring three goals and assisting three others on the way to the final in Bilbao.
£2.5 bargain swoop made everything happen
With Maddison now a well-established player at the highest level of English football, it’s easy to forget that he was once part of a trade between Norwich and Coventry. For under £2.5 million, the Canaries saw Maddison at his magnificent best in the Championship. The playmaker exploded at Carrow Road, scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists, earning him a well-deserved promotion to the Premier League.
Maddison went on to become a Premier League star, and Norwich got promoted just a season after his departure. Most crucially, Norwich were able to receive a large £20 million fee for a player who was obtained for pennies in contrast.
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