Jamie Donley made his Championship debut for Stoke City in a 3-1 win over Derby County following his loan move from Tottenham Hotspur.
Donley impressed on loan at Leyton Orient last term and has now earned the chance to step up to the second tier of English football.
Pep Guardiola hailed Donley after Man City’s FA Cup win over Orient back in February, as the youngster forced the opening goal after a stunning effort from 40 yards out.
After having had a chance to assess him during pre-season, Thomas Frank and Spurs opted to send the midfielder out on loan, and his Championship debut has fans talking.
Tottenham wish they’d kept Jamie Donley after James Maddison’s injury
The Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate produced a wonderful assist on his debut for the Potters as he set up Sorba Thomas’ goal, which secured a 3-1 win.
Spurs supporters have now been questioning the club’s decision to send Jamie Donley out on loan in the aftermath of James Maddison’s ACL injury.
The 28-year-old is expected to miss a large part of the new campaign following the knee injury he suffered against Newcastle in pre-season.
Maddison going down has left Spurs short in terms of creative options in midfield, with Dejan Kulusevski also sidelined following an injury.
So, with the Lilywhites on the hunt for a new attacking midfielder and Donley making a quick impression in the Midlands, supporters have taken to X to share their frustration at the decision to send him out.
One supporter said: “Spurs are looking for a number ten, and Jamie Donley gets an assist on his debut for Stoke City after coming on in the 74th minute.”
“Maddison is injured, money to be spent on his cover and the cover’s cover, yet Donley is loaned… It doesn’t make sense,” claimed another fan.
There were further question marks over Spurs’ decision to loan Donley out: “Why loan him out? We have no attacking midfielder, and even if we buy one, he could easily get good minutes still. This club makes some odd decisions.”
Finally, another fan stated: “I would’ve stuck by him this season at Tottenham with the injuries.”
The 20-year-old is highly rated at Spurs, but after pre-season, it was clear that a season in the Championship was needed before he becomes a first-teamer at Spurs.
With 21 days remaining in the summer transfer window, the Lilywhites must now decide whether to stick or twist with their options in attacking midfield.
Tottenham targeting James McAtee transfer to replace James Maddison
TBR Football understands that James McAtee is a possible Maddison replacement being targeted by Spurs, with talks taking place.
Meanwhile, reports elsewhere suggest McAtee is keen on Tottenham and is now waiting for the Lilywhites to make their move.
Man City want £40 million for McAtee, which is the same fee they received from Chelsea for Cole Palmer back in 2023.
The 22-year-old has just enjoyed an impressive tournament at the European Championships earlier this summer as he captained England U-21 to glory.
He managed six goal contributions in five matches for the young Three Lions, featuring in an array of positions across the front line.