Tottenham Hotspur have made two high-profile additions to their playing squad during the summer transfer window in an attempt to improve Thomas Frank's squad.
Mohammed Kudus was signed on a permanent deal from West Ham United earlier in the summer, and Joao Palhinha recently joined from Bayern Munich on an initial loan deal.
The Lilywhites will be hoping that the Portugal international can provide a solid presence in front of the back four, sweeping up to win possession back for his side on a regular basis.
There is still more work to be done by Daniel Levy and Frank before the summer transfer window slams shut, though, after the injury to James Maddison.
The England international is set to miss the majority of the 2025/26 campaign after he suffered an ACL injury, which has left Spurs light in the attacking positions.
Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the Europa League champions will be "looking at the market" to find a potential replacement for Maddison for the upcoming season.
Why Spurs need to replace James Maddison
The Lilywhites are right to be looking at possible replacements for the former Norwich and Leicester star because his absence will be felt within the squad.
Maddison ended the 2024/25 campaign with a haul of ten goals and 12 assists in all competitions for Spurs, and he has hit double figures for goals in four of the last five seasons for Tottenham and Leicester combined.
The English playmaker has proven that he can deliver goals and assists on a fairly regular basis, and he offered a leadership presence as one of the vice-captains behind Heung-min Son last term.
Maddison's performances in the Premier League under Ange Postecoglou last season show how important he can be to the team with his contributions at the top end of the pitch from an attacking midfield position.
As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old star ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics, as the English ace provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
These statistics illustrate how big a blow it was to lose Maddison to an ACL injury for most of the upcoming season, because he is an effective attacking force who has proven himself over many years at the top level.
That is why Spurs need to find a replacement for him before the end of the summer transfer window, and they are reportedly keen on a star who plays for one of their Premier League rivals, and it is not Morgan Gibbs-White...
Spurs eyeing deal for Manchester City midfielder
According to GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to sign Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee this summer.
The report claims that the Lilywhites have identified the England U21 international as one of a number of potential replacements for Maddison, and that the club are now weighing up who to go for.
It adds that teams in Germany and England are also eyeing up the former Sheffield United star, but they have been put off by the £40m price tag on his head.
GIVEMESPORT reveals that McAtee is interested in a move to North London and is currently waiting to see if Spurs are prepared to formalise their interest with an offer.
The outlet states that Tottenham are not put off by the £40m asking price, suggesting that they are prepared to pay the asking price, but they have yet to decide whether or not McAtee is the player they are going to make a big push for.
Why Spurs should sign James McAtee
The Manchester City youngster could be a shrewd addition to the squad as a replacement for Maddison, as he could be the ideal player to fill the gap in the squad.
A potential issue with 'replacing' Maddison is that the club also have to be aware that he will, hopefully, return to action before the end of the 2025/26 campaign and will be an option moving forward.
McAtee, at the age of 22, may be happy to play regularly for most of this season before competing with Maddison for a starting role next year and beyond. Whereas an established, 28-year-old, £60m+ signing may expect to start every week even when Maddison is back fit, which could be a difficult situation to manage in the future.
The left-footed attacking midfielder only played 27 matches in all competitions as a bit-part player for City last season, but still managed to find the back of the net seven times.
McAtee, who was described as a "special" player by Pep Guardiola, only started three of his 15 appearances in the Premier League for City, but showed glimpses of the quality that he can offer.
As you can see in the table above, the English whiz ranked highly among his positional peers in per 90 metrics, which shows that he produced quite a lot in his limited minutes on the pitch.
Whether he is able to maintain that output as a consistent starter is still up in the air, but Cole Palmer is the prime example that being a reserve player at Manchester City does not mean you cannot shine elsewhere.
McAtee also scored one goal and provided two assists in five starts at the U21 Euros for England, winning the tournament, during the summer, which shows what he can do when given regular minutes as well.
Overall, McAtee's potential to deliver goals and assists, or at least the xA that should result in assists, as an attacking midfielder in the Premier League could make him a dream signing for Spurs, along with his age meaning that he still has plenty of room left to grow and develop.