Tottenham Hotspur: Two potential knock-on effects as Spurs reportedly eye James Maddison

According to The Sun, Tottenham are interested in signing James Maddison from Leicester City during the summer transfer window.

Things could hardly be going better for Spurs and Antonio Conte right now. The 4-0 victory away at Aston Villa on Saturday, the north London outfit’s sixth win in their last seven Premier League outings, moved them up to fourth in the table and three points ahead of Arsenal in fifth, albeit having played a game more.

With his side having scored at least twice in each of those recent games, Conte is also getting a charming tune out of this side offensively.

And, as per this latest report, Tottenham will look to boost their attacking options even further at the end of the campaign. The article says Spurs will battle Arsenal in their attempts to sign Maddison, with Leicester said to be looking for £60m to part ways with the playmaker.

But what potential impact would Maddison’s arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have? We take a look at two possible consequences.

Paratici could find Alli replacement

While Dele Alli may have now moved on to pastures new, few Tottenham fans will forget the displays he produced at the peak of his powers. In his first 146 games, he managed 45 goals and 42 assists, including 18 strikes during the 2016/17 Premier League campaign. His time at Spurs also coincided with the club’s best spell in recent memory, as they qualified for the Champions League for four years in a row and reached the final in 2019.

Unfortunately, the England international has been on the wane for a few years, not playing 30 or more league games since the 2017/18 campaign before joining Everton three months ago.

Daniel Levy has looked to replace his influence with the signings of similar playmakers such as Giovani Lo Celso and club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele, but neither could make the required impact and are currently out on loan at Villarreal and Lyon respectively.

Maddison, meanwhile, is accustomed to the English top flight and is currently enjoying his best goalscoring season with the Foxes, having already found the back of the net on 13 occasions in all competitions – his career tally for the club now stands at 40.

After the impressive signings of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, who have been mainstays in the starting XI since their arrivals in January, Fabio Paratici could complete another top deal with the capture of Maddison and fill the void Alli left.

Conte buzzing

Infamously, Conte is a hard man to please. Falling out with the hierarchy at Inter, Juventus and Chelsea led him to leaving all three of those jobs, with his transfer market demands usually the sticking point. Recently, Conte suggested he wants to bring in a number 10, and Maddison fits the bill perfectly.

Not only does the England international know where the back of the net is, but he is equally adept at providing for his teammates, having created nine goals this term. With all due respect to Leicester, that number would surely only increase with the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min on hand to put the finishing touch to his passes.

Given Spurs’ revival under Conte – having sat in eighth place upon his arrival – it is vital to keep the Italian happy. Such a transfer may be the way to do just that.

TIF Verdict…

Maddison is often overlooked amongst the conveyor belt of English talent. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, he plays in the same area of the pitch as the likes of Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Emile Smith Rowe, and has therefore managed just one England cap so far.

He has plenty of ability, though, and could be the next piece in Conte’s puzzle. For Spurs, getting one over on fierce rivals Arsenal would be an added bonus.

Brendan Rodgers has been full of praise for the midfielder, especially last season when the Englishman starred against Fulham as he stated he has ‘immense quality’.