The Magpies failed to convince the Foxes to sell their prized asset with two bids as they hold out for a figure of £60m and it remains to be seen if there is a third bid forthcoming.
Newcastle are urgently in need of attacking reinforcements as last season’s top scorer was Callum Wilson with eight goals, who missed a little more than half the league campaign with injury.
Eddie Howe led Newcastle from the relegation zone to a creditable eleventh-placed finish in the 2021/22 season and Sutton admits that he is expecting more good performances from the Magpies this term.
Newcastle are still active in the transfer market and want Maddison, having had bids rejected by Leicester, leaving Sutton questioning why, with the season about to start, Howe has left it so late to try to sign the attacking midfielder.
“Howe played a really good brand of football as well as getting results and I am expecting more of the same this time, although they do need some reinforcements up front”, Sutton wrote in his BBC predictions column.
“They are trying to get James Maddison from Leicester but I don’t quite understand why they have left it so late before the start of the season to go for him, and we will have to wait and see how that one pans out.”
Maddison made 53 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes last season, scoring 18 goals and laying on 12 assists.
Newcastle will kick off their Premier League season at home to newly promoted Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while Leicester will play host to Brentford on Sunday.
