Tottenham Hostpur’s pre-season friendly with Newcastle United was meant to be a game of celebration.
Son Heung-min was playing his final game for Spurs in his home country and was withdrawn from action midway through the second half to a standing ovation. However, James Maddison’s serious knee injury marred Son’s Seoul send-off.
Maddison was taken off on a stretcher in tears having sustained an ACL injury. It was the same knee that forced Maddison off in the second half of Tottenham’s 3-1 Europa League win over Bodo/Glimt in May.
With Dejan Kulusevski also ruled out for the foreseeable future, Tottenham need to act swiftly to bring in another No.10, particularly with the Uefa Super Cup showdown against Paris Saint-Germain looming.
But who should Spurs look to sign? We’ve picked out seven transfer options to ease Maddison’s potentially season-ending injury.
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Eberechi Eze
Arsenal are the front-runners for Eberechi Eze. But Tottenham have previously been linked with the Crystal Palace star, who ranked fifth for completed take-ons in the Premier League last season. Could a hijack be on the cards?
Eze ended last season strongly, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists. His FA Cup-winning goal against Manchester City propelled Eze further into the spotlight. With the end product to match Eze’s directness, he’d be a great fit for Thomas Frank’s Tottenham. Provided they could trump Arsenal to his services.
Xavi Simons
Another player on the cusp of a move to London, albeit this time to rivals Chelsea. Tottenham would love nothing more than to beat Chelsea to Xavi Simons, inflicting their revenge for the Blues’ signing of Willian back in 2013.
An injury at the end of 2024 restricted Simons to just 25 league starts across the campaign. But 10 goals and seven assists was still a solid haul for the RB Leipzig man. Again, whether Tottenham could convince Simons to choose north over west London remains to be seen. But with the Netherlands international also able to cover on the flanks, Tottenham could do worse than make a Hail Mary push for the 22-year-old.
Morgan Rogers
It’s clear that Tottenham have money to burn, having triggered the £60million release clause in Morgan Gibbs-White’s contract last month. If they wish to make a statement signing — and land a homegrown player in the process — they could do worse than make a move for Morgan Rogers.
Aston Villa will be reluctant to sell their prized asset. But they need to make sales in order to remain within PSR guidelines. Rogers took his game to the next level last season, returning 10 assists and eight goals. He also ranked sixth for completed take-ons (66) in the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.
Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish endured a campaign to forget last season as he made just seven league starts for Manchester City. The 29-year-old has lost his spot in the side in what’s been quite the fall from grace for the former Aston Villa man.
In a World Cup year, Grealish needs game time and in his favoured No.10 role at Tottenham. He’d be an immediate starter in Frank’s 4-2-3-1 system. Grealish created 3.02 chances per 90 in the Premier League last season, the second-most of any player with at least 20 appearances. He’s still proving he’s the Greal Deal. But his injury issues means any move for the England star would be a risk.
Ademola Lookman
Gian Piero Gasperini is unlikely to be the only man to depart Atalanta this summer. The experienced Italian has succeeded Claudio Ranieri at Roma. And Ademola Lookman is expected to follow Gasperini out of the Gewiss Stadium.
Lookman has handed in a transfer request with Inter Milan reportedly eyeing up a move. The player himself is expected to remain in Italy following a sustained period of success in Serie A, but Frank may look to lure the 27-year-old back to England.
Lookman shone for Le Dea last season, scoring 15 times. And while he managed just five assists, it wasn’t for want of trying with Lookman creating the third-most chances in Serie A (61).
Mikkel Damsgaard
Bryan Mbeumo has already left Brentford this summer, joining Manchester United. Yoane Wissa is another expected to leave the Gtech Community Stadium before the transfer window closes next month. With Tottenham needing a No.10, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise for Frank to make a raid on his former employers.
After being eased into regular action in his opening two seasons, Mikkel Damsgaard thrived for the Bees last season, providing 10 assists. The Dane also excelled out of possession for Brentford having won possession in the attacking third 35 times. Only Antoine Semenyo (37) did so more in the division. Brentford would, of course, be reluctant to lose Damsgaard this summer. But he’s a player Frank is familiar with, and one who’d excel at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Harvey Elliott
England’s Under-21 European Championship triumph thrust Harvey Elliott back into the spotlight. The 22-year-old’s playing time was limited last season, and the high-profile addition of Florian Wirtz means Elliott is unlikely to get much of a look in under Arne Slot in the coming campaign.
While the youngster wouldn’t be high on supporters’ wish list, the Reds man could prove an astute pick up. Five goals at the U21 Euros reinforced Elliott’s attacking credentials. And with a rumoured £50m asking price, he’s a player that Tottenham could afford to sign. Elliott has reportedly made it clear that he wishes to play in the No.10 role, which suits Frank as they seek to invest in the area sooner rather than later.
Fancy yourself as a Tottenham transfer guru? Weigh up your own James Maddison alternatives with our Comparison Matrix. Use our ready-made template tailored for the No.10 role, or customise it with your own stats and preferences using the ‘edit stats’ button.