Why Sunderland didn't sign Marcus Maddison last summer as Peterborough prepare to fend off interest

That’s according to Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony, who claims Jack Ross told counterpart Darren Ferguson he was eyeing a move for the former Newcastle United youngster last summer.

Maddison has long been linked with a move to the Stadium of Light, but MacAnthony has once again reiterated that the 25-year-old will not be on the move this summer.

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Peterborough have a large release clause inserted in Maddison’s contract, with their owner recently stating that there would be ‘absolutely no’ chance of a lower bid being accepted.

But that didn’t stop Sunderland from keeping tabs on the forward last summer – until ‘nonsense’ about his reputation surfaced.

That, coupled with a potentially high fee, saw Sunderland’s interest cool – but MacAnthony was keen to dispel any rumours about one of his star players.

Speaking to BBC Cambridgeshire, the Peterborough chief said: “At the end of the season, when we were playing big clubs, there were certain managers who would say to Darren – Jack Ross [is one].

“He said ‘what a player he is, we tried to sign him in the summer and heard all the nonsense about his reputation.’

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“And Darren just said to him, ‘what reputation? I’ve managed him twice and never had a problem with him.’

“Unfortunately with Marcus, you’ve got previous managers who have liked to badmouth him and talk about this and talk about that.

“Marcus Maddison has always been a complex character off the field, but it never affected his work ethic at the club.

“It’s never affected his performances in training or on the field, and that’s what you should be judged on as a player.”

Interest in Maddison is expected to be high once again this summer, with the forward having just one year remaining on his contract.

But that doesn’t mean Peterborough will be tempted to sell – with MacAnthony insisting he will remain at the club.

“This isn’t a sales pitch, we aren’t selling Marcus Maddison,” he added.

“I don’t care if he only has a year left.”