Tottenham Hotspur’s success in the Europa League last season is evidence that their recruitment strategy over recent years has been a success on the pitch.
The Lilywhites have split their hunt in the transfer market, allowing for an excellent mix of youth talents with huge ceilings and big-money stars who can make an immediate impact.
Thomas Frank has continued that trend over his first summer transfer window at the helm, spending over £100m on a mixture of stars who can contribute to the club in the immediate and long term.
Joao Palhinha joined the side on a season-long loan from German giants Bayern Munich, hopefully making an immediate impact in North London given his experience at the top level.
Xavi Simons is arguably one of the most high-profile additions, costing a whopping £52m from RB Leipzig - but has plenty of time to thrive under Frank, given his tender age of just 22 years.
However, it remains unclear how much of a role one player will have to play under the manager’s guidance, given his constant setbacks over the last couple of months.
James Maddison’s horrid injury luck at Spurs
James Maddison was seen as a superb addition back in the summer of 2023, costing a fee in the region of £40m from Leicester City after their relegation from the Premier League.
The Englishman made an immediate impact in North London, becoming the first player in the club’s history to register two assists on his debut for the Lilywhites.
However, whilst he’s registered 16 goals and 19 assists for the club, injuries have massively halted his progress at the club - subsequently casting doubt over his long-term future under Frank.
He had already missed 24 games and 146 days' worth of action before Frank’s appointment, but he is once again set for a prolonged period on the sideline with his latest setback.
The 28-year-old suffered an ACL tear in the pre-season clash with Newcastle United, with such an injury set to rule the midfielder out for the majority of Frank’s maiden campaign at the helm.
He currently has two years left on contract after the 2025/26 campaign, but given his constant setbacks, the club may look to offload the Englishman to prevent losing him for nothing.
Such a decision could free up the number ten shirt in North London, with one player already on the books more than deserving of the chance to wear the iconic shirt.
The Spurs player who could steal the #10 from Maddison
Despite losing the likes of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane over recent years, Spurs still have a huge array of attacking talent on the books under Frank’s guidance.
His side have already scored 11 times in the Premier League during their first six outings, averaging just shy of two goals per game - with Richarlison their top scorer on three.
There’s no denying that the side are a force to be reckoned with in attacking areas, with not many sides able to possess the quality Frank’s men do in the final third.
The midfield department is also stacked in the manager’s favour, with Lucas Bergvall just one of the players who’s made the position his own within the 4-3-3 system.
Not many fans would’ve predicted how quickly he’s made himself a first-team regular in the side, especially after joining for just £8.5m from Swedish side Djurgarden just last summer.
He was just 18 upon his transfer, but it has not stopped him from thriving in North London, racking up 54 appearances across all competitions since his transfer.
Bergvall, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by one analyst, has arguably been one of the Lilywhites’ star performers in the early days of the 2025/26 campaign - starting four of the six league outings under the Dane.
Despite his midfield role, he’s also managed to notch a goal and assist in England’s top-flight, leading by example in North London despite his tender age.
At just 19 years of age, he has bags of time to develop further and transition into an elite-level talent and lead the club to added European and domestic success.
He has all the tools to thrive in England for many years, subsequently deserving of the number ten shirt in the near future to help reflect his importance to the football club.
It may be a harsh decision to cut ties with Maddison, given his success on the field, but ultimately, his injuries are far too frequent - subsequently making him an unreliable figure.
Bergvall has demonstrated he’s capable of starring ahead of the Englishman in recent months, with the Swede deserving of the opportunity to wear the prestigious number ten shirt.