Leicester City centre-back Filip Benkovic has claimed James Maddison will reach the top of the game despite struggling for form at the 2019 European Championships.

Maddison had been hoping to help England win the U21 title this summer, but Aidy Boothroyd’s troops were knocked out on Friday after a 4-2 defeat to Romania. The former Norwich City man failed to make an impact during the tournament in Italy, but he continues to be linked with a big-money move to Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Reports suggest the English giants will make a £60million bid in the coming days, and Benkovic believes Maddison will hit the highest levels before the end of his career.

“He is a top talent and has a big future ahead of him,” Benkovic told Press Association Sport, ahead of Croatia and England’s dead rubber on Monday.

“He has a big career in front of him. I was only with him a month but with good players you can see their quality within two or three training sessions.

“He is an unbelievable player, he had a great season and he made a difference in the Premier League. He played against the top teams in the world and he made a difference on the pitch, you can see his quality in every move.”

Benkovic enjoyed a solid campaign with Celtic and could make the move permanent before the end of the summer. Leicester will be doing all they can to keep hold of Maddison and they will be confident of keeping him for the first game of the season against Wolves.

The Foxes are 2.38 to win on August 11, with the draw 3.30, while Wolves are 3.10 to grab all three points.