Man Utd legend Roy Keane warns James Maddison against ‘backwards step’ Arsenal transfer but Ian Wright disagrees

ROY KEANE has warned Leicester midfielder James Maddison against a possible move to Arsenal this summer.

Maddison, 24, has been linked with a move to the Emirates as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad after a disappointing campaign last season.

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Maddison has been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer[/caption]

But Keane does not believe it would be in Maddison’s interests to join Arsenal, who – unlike Leicester – are not in Europe.

Speaking on ITV ahead of the Community Shield between Leicester and Manchester City, he said: “Maybe he might just fancy a bit of change, maybe just fancy a bit of London? I don’t know.

“It’s a difficult one, [Jamie] Vardy had an opportunity to go to Arsenal, he turned it down.

“He got big money, turned it down, he got big money at Leicester, let’s not kid ourselves. But Leicester, the group of players they have, they’ve [also] got a new training ground.

“If he’s leaving Leicester, I don’t think Arsenal is the right option. If I was him I’d sit tight.”

But fellow ITV pundit Ian Wright disagreed with Keane’s assessment of the Maddison situation.

The ex-Gunners man responded: “Arsenal will be up there, the fact Arsenal are a team that are still trying to build and be where they want to be, players like Maddison is the kind of player Arsenal need to bring them back there.

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Wright did not agree with Keane’s view on Arsenal at the moment[/caption]

“Like Liverpool, Manchester United before them have been through their mile-and-a-half of pipe like Andy Defraine in Shawshank Redemption where you see light at the end of the tunnel.

“Arsenal need players like that but that’s where you’ve got to put respect on Arsenal’s name for trying to get back where they were.”

But Keane then went even further with his opinion that Maddison should stay from Arsenal by insisting a transfer to North London would be a ‘backwards step’.

“At this moment in time I don’t believe to leave Leicester where they are is a step up to go to Arsenal,” the Irishman added.

“Probably backwards [step] at this moment in time. Arsenal is a huge club. Leicester where they are challenging for the Champions League, they won a trophy last year. Arsenal are short yet.”

Maddison has scored 27 goals in 118 games for Leicester since arriving from Norwich City for £20million in 2018.

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