Five attacking midfielders Tottenham could look to sign after James Maddison's injury blow - Opinion
After Tottenham Hotspur received the worst possible injury news on James Maddison, we take a look at five exciting attacking midfielders who can fill the Maddison-shaped hole in the Spurs squad.
It has been confirmed that James Maddison has suffered an ACL injury and is expected to miss the majority of Tottenham’s 2025-26 season.
The news comes as a major blow for Thomas Frank, and according to reports, signing an attacking midfielder has now become a priority for Tottenham after the development.
Given that Dejan Kulusevski is also currently sidelined, there is no doubt that the position has become an urgent one for Spurs to address. Here are five players that the Lilywhites can turn to:
Tottenham could look at Jack Grealish on loan
Reports indicate that Tottenham launched an enquiry for Jack Grealish immediately after Maddison’s injury, and it is not hard to understand why.
The three-time Premier League winner has been on the North London club’s radar for a while. In fact, it has been revealed that Spurs held extensive talks with Grealish’s representatives about a move in January.
A deal for the 29-year-old will be straightforward to complete, as he is not in Pep Guardiola’s plans, and it has been reported that Grealish is open to a move to Tottenham this summer.
Additionally, some sources have also claimed that Man City are open to loaning out Grealish. A loan move would work perfectly for the Lilywhites, as it would entail very little risk and give Frank an experienced option until James Maddison recovers from his injury.
Bilal El Khannouss could be a low-budget option
According to reports, Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss is another player Tottenham are tracking following the Foxes’ relegation from the Premier League.
However, the North Londoners are not expected to have a free run at the Moroccan international, who is also on the radars of Sunderland, Leeds United, West Ham United and Newcastle.
Not all Spurs fans are convinced El Khannouss would be a good signing for Tottenham, as his returns at Leicester were quite modest last season, with just three goals in 36 appearances.
However, the 21-year-old can shine when surrounded by better players at N17, and we know that Thomas Frank has a track record of getting the best of young attackers.
The Dane might thus fancy his chances of moulding the Leicester man into a finished product, as the youngster’s ability is unquestionable.
Harvey Elliott has been linked with Tottenham
A number of outlets have claimed that Harvey Elliott is one of the alternatives Tottenham have identified to Morgan Gibbs-White.
While the Liverpool man clearly has a high ceiling, his signing may not be very popular among Spurs fans, given the way Elliott has behaved against Tottenham in the past.
It has been alleged that the England Under-21 international is rated highly by Thomas Frank, and his versatility would offer the Dane a lot of options.
However, the 22-year-old will not come cheap, with reports indicating that Liverpool want over £50m for Elliott.
James McAtee looks set for a Manchester City exit
Elliott’s England Under-21 teammate, James McAtee, is another player Tottenham have reportedly spoken to this summer.
However, he is perhaps the most unlikely signing from this list, with Spurs insider Paul O’Keefe already ruling out a summer move for McAtee.
That is partly because of Manchester City’s reluctance to sell their academy graduate, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing recently that Guardiola would prefer to keep McAtee at the club.
Jacobs said that it would take a figure closer to the £42.5m package City received when Cole Palmer left for Chelsea to convince them to part ways with the 22-year-old.
Whether it is worth spending big on a player with a modest CV in the Premier League like McAtee, is something that Spurs may have to think long and hard about.
Tottenham would have to fight Arsenal for Eberechi Eze
If Tottenham want to turn to an option who is close to a guarantee to succeed, and if money were not an issue, Eberechi Eze would be the obvious candidate.
Earlier this summer, Tottenham had emerged as the favourites to land Eze, but the situation has changed drastically since then.
Arsenal have since made serious overtures towards Eze, and perhaps more consequentially, the Lilywhites do not have a long time to act.
This is because the England international’s £68m release clause expires on August 15, according to The Standard, which means that if Spurs do not manage to do a deal within the next week, they will have to enter into negotiations with Crystal Palace.
That is not to say that a deal would not be impossible after August 15, as Eze only has two years left on his contract at Selhurst Park, which means that Palace may be tempted by a big offer.
However, as they have shown with Marc Guehi, the Eagles do not succumb to pressure and are happy to bide their time to give themselves the best chance of retaining their best assets, even if it means allowing them to run into the final year of their contract.
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