West Ham United have launched a £12m bid for Norwich City star James Maddison.

The Canaries attacker has established himself as one of the best players outside the Premier League following a string of fine performances this season.

That prompted speculation that the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham were interested in the 21-year old but it’s West Ham who have made the first concrete move.

According to the Guardian, The Londoners have offered £12m for the attacking midfielder although Norwich are expected to demand a much bigger fee before they consider selling.

The Championship side recently sold another young English attacking midfielder to the top-flight when Alex Pritchard joined Huddersfield Town.

The Terriers agreed a deal that could reach £14m and it’s highly unlikely that Maddison would be allowed to leave for less than that.

Nevertheless, fans of the Yellows will be worried about losing another star man in the January window even if they will already be resigned to the fact that Maddison won’t be at Carrow Road for long.

The former Coventry man has scored seven goals in 26 league games so far this season.

The Verdict

James Maddison is a huge talent and the £12m offer is clearly a poor opening offer from West Ham.

There’s no way that Norwich will sanction the sale of their key man for such a fee and you would say they will hold out for closer to £20m.

The fact the bid has already come in may force the hand of Liverpool and Spurs which could actually benefit the Canaries when it comes to getting the best fee possible.

Thoughts, Norwich fans? How much do you sell Maddison for? Let us know in the comments below.