Tottenham concluded their pre-season preparations with a 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on Thursday night, and ahead of their Super Cup clash against PSG on Wednesday, one issue is pressing.
James Maddison suffered an ACL injury in a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United last weekend, with scans confirming he will miss the majority of the 2025/26 campaign.
The loss of Maddison, who is one of Thomas Frank’s key attacking midfielders, has only heightened the need to strengthen in the transfer market.
Tottenham have been linked to Como star Nico Paz as a possible replacement, while Manchester City duo James McAtee and Jack Grealish are also on Spurs’ radar.
McAtee would be the cost-efficient alternative in that regard, and some previous comments have already explained why they should sign him.
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Pep Guardiola once compared James McAtee to Phil Foden
Pep Guardiola hinted at the start of the summer that McAtee isn’t a part of his long-term plans, with the Spaniard aiming to trim down his squad.
The 22-year-old wants to play regular football at the highest level, something that isn’t guaranteed at City after just three Premier League starts last term.
So, with Maddison now injured, Frank has an opportunity to snap up the Englishman as a quality option for the number 10 position.
Although Man City have valued McAtee at around £35million, some former comments from Guardiola suggest he could be worth every penny.
“Macca has this quality, he could’ve scored four goals [against Palace]. He has the ability to create chances, he is there,” the Spaniard said via Man City’s official website in April.
“Macca lives close to the box, quite similar to Phil and they are there. They have a sense [of goal], it’s difficult to train in the moment the ball is coming and after he didn’t score but it’s fine. As much minutes he plays he will score.”
Guardiola compared the ‘special’ McAtee to his teammate Phil Foden, someone who is one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League on his day.
What McAtee would bring to Tottenham in James Maddison’s absence
McAtee has only made 34 senior appearances for Man City, but he has impressed on the majority of the times he has featured.
The former Sheffield United loanee possesses a unique skill set, including his incredible finishing, ability to operate between the lines, and remarkable technical attributes.
As highlighted by FBref, the youngster has ranked in the top 1% of attacking midfielders across Europe for non-penalty goals and non-penalty xG in the past year.
McAtee is a huge threat in front of goal, but also brilliant at winning the ball back, posting 1.96 tackles per 90 and 1.96 blocks.
The above reasons are more than enough for Daniel Levy to dip his hands in his pockets and invest in someone capable of filling Maddison’s boots.