Tottenham Hotspur came into the summer transfer window with holes in their midfield, but after acquiring Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich, Spurs think that with a new No. 6 who brings steely defending - and a Premier League pedigree - plus a breakout season from Pape Sarr, the 6's and 8's should be adequately covered.
But now that James Maddison has torn his ACL and Dejan Kulusevski is still about a month away from returning from a late 2024/25 season injury, it's the 10's that Tottenham are worried about. Tottenham have clearly found the ideal solution at this position in Eberechi Eze, who is coming off an FA Cup victory and a strong season as the undisputed star of Crystal Palace after his partner in crime, Michael Olise, left go ball out with Harry Kane in Bavaria.
Eze is the obvious frontrunner for Tottenham and an increasingly likely signing for Daniel Levy and Co., but, interestingly enough, Tottenham have put out feelers for other playmakers, too. These have generally been alternatives to Eze, but this latest name may be someone Spurs could sign as a gamble to be a backup in conjunction with a more slam-dunk star like Eze.
According to a report from Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, Tottenham have joined London rivals West Ham as two teams to show an interest in Roma attacking midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini. Although Pellegrini is an icon of the club, his play has been on a decline recently, and he was one of Europe's most disappointing players in the 2024/25 season, barely putting up any numbers with just two goals and one assist after grabbing eight goals and three assists in the 2023/24 campaign.
Tottenham could sign one of the best 10's from the past
About five years ago, Pellegrini was one of the best No. 10's in European football for his goal-scoring ability, intelligence off the ball, distance shooting, creative passing, unselfish defensive work, positional sense, versatility, and turns in tight spaces.
Even though Pellegrini is still in the prime of his career at 29 years old, he's been struggling for Roma, and there's a sense that a change in scenery may be best for him. Now more than ever, Roma are shopping around Pellegrini, and the player could be open to leaving the club he loves.
Pellegrini makes about 6.5 million euros in wages, so while Corriere notes that this has made him onerous for mid-level Serie A sides like Fiorentina, it's in the lower-to-mid income bracket for even a team like West Ham or one as stingy as Tottenham with their wage budget.
Given Pellegrini is on an expiring contract, he's valued at ust nine million euros by Transfermarkt, and if the stubborn Gian Piero Gasperini really doesn't like him and doesn't want to see what he's got, the club leader could leave for even less than that.
Resurrecting Pellegrini's career isn't a priority for Tottenham, but it's actually not that silly for Spurs to show interest in him. Pellegrini works hard, has a lot of technical ability, and is better than most other midfielders in Serie A athletically. He could actually work out as a backup option, but, at the end of the day, it's probably better for Spurs to focus their time and attention on giving players like Wilson Odobert minutes if there's room for them behind Eze.
I wouldn't hate Pellegrini under Thomas Frank since he was great before Roma fell apart and moved in a less creative direction to grind out results, but you can't sign anyone, even if you can argue that it's tempting to try and get a big name back on track.