Tottenham are on course to miss out on what could be an ideal temporary deal.
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Tottenham are about to miss the opportunity to temporarily replace James Maddison at a reduced cost. Thomas Frank has lost Maddison for much of the season, if not all of it, with the England international rupturing his ACL and requiring surgery that will signal the start of at least eight months of recovery.
It’s a crushing blow for Tottenham, with Maddison one of their most dangerous players, while he is also a leader on and off the pitch. But injuries are a reality of football, and Frank must now concentrate on replacing Maddison, at least on a temporary basis, and that kind of player is never going to come cheap.
Manchester City starlet James McAtee has been linked, although he will reportedly cost more than £40million this summer, with City well aware of his talent and potential. Another player City are looking to offload is Jack Grealish, who struggled for game time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
Grealish would be a well-suited replacement for Maddison, and he looks to be available on loan, which makes it a perfect deal for Spurs. Ultimately, Frank only needs a replacement until Maddison is back, and with Tottenham likely seeing Lucas Bergval as a long-term replacement, £40million would be a lot to spend on a temporary replacement.
Grealish would be available for a loan fee and without the commitment of a permanent deal, but according to Fabrizio Romano, Everton are now stepping up their efforts to get a deal done. He wrote on X: “Everton keep advancing in talks for Jack Grealish as priority target. The player has opened doors to the move and negotiations are underway. Everton and Man City, discussing terms of loan deal as @_pauljoyce reports.”
The writing was on the wall for Grealish at City after he was left out of the club’s final game last season. Guardiola said when asked: “It was selection. The last two months, month and a half there were five or six players at home every time and this time I decided for these guys. No more than that.
"Of course Jack has to play. He's an unbelievable player that has to play football every three days. It didn't happen this season and last season either. He needs to do it. With us or another place. It's a question for Jack, his agent and the club."
Grealish will have next summer’s FIFA World Cup at the forefront of his mind, and he will be desperate to be included in England’s squad, something he is at serious risk of missing out on by not playing with City. He will likely get regular game time at an ever-improving Everton side, and he will go there with a real point to prove to Thomas Tuchel.
That’s something Tottenham should be interested in benefiting from as they look to replace the loss of Maddison’s creativity. It’s not too late, but Spurs do not look as though they are actively looking to get involved in a deal for the England international.