"Unfashionable for elite coaches" – Jamie Carragher offers interesting analysis on why Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea refused to sign James Maddison

Jamie Carragher has offered his two cents on why Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea snubbed the chance to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison earlier this summer.

Maddison, 26, has lately been hailed as one of the best summer signings following his £40 million move to Spurs from Leicester City. He has registered two goals and four assists in six games for his new club, helping them maintain an unbeaten start to this campaign.

In his column for The Telegraph, Carragher provided his theory as to why the likes of his former club and Arsenal opted not to pursue Maddison's signature recently. He wrote:

"His throwback style extends to his on-field role. With the utmost respect to Maddison and Spurs, it explains why his options during the summer did not include Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool."

Claiming that Maddison is an ill-fit for most coaches, Carragher added:

"I have no doubt all watched him for Leicester and at some point over the last three years considered signing him. The reason they said no is because Maddison's most effective position is unfashionable for elite coaches."

Sharing his thoughts on the top manager's demands, Carragher wrote:

"My suspicion is that [Pep] Guardiola, [Jurgen] Klopp, [Mikel] Arteta and [Mauricio] Pochettino were swayed more by what he does not do more than his qualities. In their best sides, Guardiola and Klopp expect multi-faceted midfielders to assume the responsibility of those who once placed themselves just behind the striker."

Pinpointing Maddison's lack of pace and intensity, Carragher concluded:

"Maddison is not the quickest, nor does he stand out as someone who will trigger a high-pressing game. He does not have the natural athleticism of a number 8, and he is less effective playing as a wide attacker cutting inside."

Earlier this summer, Liverpool roped in the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister to strengthen their midfield. Arsenal signed Kai Havertz, while Chelsea snapped up Cole Palmer as a playmaker option.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright makes prediction on Tottenham Hotspur-Liverpool encounter

During a discussion on The Overlap, Arsenal great Ian Wright was asked about his thoughts on the Reds' Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday. He responded:

"I think Liverpool win this one."

Liverpool, who achieved a fifth-placed Premier League finish past season, are still unbeaten in the ongoing 2023-24 campaign. They are currently second in the table with 16 points from six matches, while Spurs are fourth with with 14 points from six league games so far.

The Merseyside outfit have an upper hand against Spurs in terms of head-to-head record. They have registered 14 wins, six draws and just one defeat in their last 21 Premier League meetings against Tottenham.