HOT prospect James Maddison will move to Premier League strugglers Norwich City this summer after the Sky Blues agreed to sell the midfielder for an undisclosed fee in the final minutes of transfer deadline day.
The 19-year-old had been a target for several top flight clubs, with the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool all declaring an interest in the academy graduate.
The Observer understands the Sky Blues accepted an offer late on Monday evening for an initial fee of £2.5million which will rise to £9.5million with claues.
And as part of the deal, Maddison will immediately be loaned back to the Sky Blues in a bid to help Tony Mowbray’s side secure promotion to the Championship.
Sky Blues executive vice chairman, Chris Anderson, admits the club are sad to see Maddison leave but wished him all the best for the future.
He said: “It was with great reluctance that we accepted Norwich’s offer but the deal provides a level of revenue which will help the club grow in the future to build a successful squad beyond the rest of this season.
“It was imperative from both the club’s and James’ perspective that he see out the rest of the season with us and help us in our push for promotion.
“Now, a Coventry City Academy graduate has the chance to showcase his skills at the top level of the game, and that is something the club can be very proud of.
“Also, on a human level, we didn’t want to stand in the way of James’ potential career progression and deny him the chance to play in the Premier League.”
Maddison is the latest star to progress through the club’s academy where he has been since the age of seven.
He progressed through every age group to sign professional terms with the club in November 2014 and went on to make his debut against Cardiff City in the Capital One Cup in August 2014.
The Coventry-born playmaker went on to make 18 appearances during the 2014/15 season and scored a crucial goal in the 2-1 win over Crawley Town on the final day of the season to help the club secure it’s League One status.
He has already made 12 appearances this season, despite a three-month injury absence, scoring two goals.
