Tottenham are in glaring need of a new number 10 and an alternative to James Maddison after the Englishman’s fresh injury nightmare, and Thomas Frank will be ruing their missed opportunities to bring one in this summer.
Spurs’ emotional Seoul farewell to club legend Son Heung‑min soured last Sunday when Maddison was forced off on a stretcher late into their 1-1 pre-season draw with Newcastle.
|
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025 |
Average match rating |
|---|---|
|
Son Heung-min |
7.00 |
|
James Maddison |
6.98 |
|
Pedro Porro |
6.95 |
|
Dominic Solanke |
6.84 |
|
Dejan Kulusevski |
6.83 |
|
via WhoScored |
|
The former Leicester City star – having just recovered from a knee injury which sidelined him at the end of 2024/2025 – came on in the 75th minute and lasted barely ten minutes before collapsing in agony, clutching that same knee. Frank didn’t sugarcoat it.
The Dane confirmed it was “bad” and the same knee that sidelined Maddison in May, ruling him out of Europa League final glory, with the 28-year-old now expected to face yet another lengthy lay-off in a major headache for Frank.
Maddison was poised to be the creative heartbeat of Frank’s new-look Spurs side this season – especially with Son waving goodbye to the club after 10 years and fellow chief creator, Dejan Kulusevski, also out injured.
Daniel Levy has already splashed £117 million on the signings of Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Kota Takai, Kevin Danso and a loan deal for Joao Palhinha, but losing Maddison leaves the attack dangerously thin.
Tottenham were on the verge of signing Morgan Gibbs-White this time last month, which would’ve solved this problem.
They even scheduled a medical for the 25-year-old ahead of a £60 million move (BBC), but Nottingham Forest blocked the transfer, wrote a letter to Spurs threatening legal action and, to rub salt in the wound, tied Gibbs-White down with a club-record new deal.
Spurs are still in hot pursuit of a new playmaker, listing it as one of their chief priorities before deadline day on September 1 (Alasdair Gold), and there are a few Gibbs-White alternatives to keep aware of.
Despite RB Leipzig’s approach for Liverpool star Harvey Elliott, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook suggests that the England Under-21 sensation could emerge as a target for Spurs, while Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze has also been linked with a move to N17.
Tottenham favourites to sign Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid
Another outside-the-box option could be former Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher.
While more traditionally used as a defensive anchor, the Englishman can play further forward in a traditional centre-midfield role and, more importantly, as a CAM.
According to Football Espana, Tottenham are seen as the most likely destination for Gallagher this summer, following reports that Atlético Madrid will let him go for a fee of up to £44 million.
FE report that Levy is considering a bid for the 25-year-old, so this could be one to watch as Spurs ponder offering Gallagher a route back to London after just over 12 months in the Spanish capital.
“Conor Gallagher is a hardworking player, with quality, a good presence, recovers balls, and always gives his maximum in every situation,” said Atlético boss Diego Simeone.
“He came with a lot of enthusiasm, and we need that kind of player in the midfield because he makes us better.”
During his final season at Stamford Bridge, Gallagher averaged their second-highest average of key passes per 90 in the top flight behind Cole Palmer (WhoScored) – bagging nine assists in all competitions to boot.
Mauricio Pochettino used him in an attacking midfield role regularly during that time too, and Gallagher would also help to fill Spurs’ ‘locally trained’ Champions League quota.
