Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to meet a rival Premier League club's demands and sign an "outrageous" attacker, according to journalist Sebastien Vidal.
Tottenham ramping up attacking midfielder pursuit after Maddison blow
With the new Premier League season set to get underway this weekend, Tottenham fans are justified in feeling a little disappointed by their activity in the transfer window, having made very few major additions to the squad this summer.
Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso have completed permanent moves to north London after initial loan spells, but otherwise Spurs have been quiet, with Mohammed Kudus the only other high-profile addition.
Having secured Champions League qualification, it is frustrating that Daniel Levy & co haven't been able to strike while the iron is hot and bring in some top players, missing out on Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White last month.
Not only that, but the Lilywhites have now lost Son Heung-min and James Maddison, with the former joining LAFC and the latter set for a significant spell on the treatment table after suffering an ACL injury.
Consequently, there is an even more pressing need to bring in a new attacking midfielder, and Tottenham are now ramping up their interest in multiple players, with Leicester City's Bilal El Khannouss and Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze named as potential options.
Manchester City's James McAtee and Liverpool's Harvey Elliott are also of interest, and Spurs are now "ready" to meet the Reds' demands for the young Englishman, according to an update from Vidal on X.
The journalist states that Thomas Frank's side are looking to "boost their attacking creativity", and a move for Elliott could be on the cards, with the 22-year-old in line to receive regular game time if he moves to north London.
There is a feeling that Liverpool will sanction the England U21 international's departure this summer, and a £40m fee has been touted.
"Outrageous" Elliott could be ideal Eze alternative
There is certainly no shortage of exciting options on Tottenham's shortlist, with Eze perhaps chief amongst them, having outperformed the other targets in terms of attacking contributions in the Premier League last season.
However, the Crystal Palace star is also the most senior player at 27-years-old, meaning he received more game time, and it could be difficult for Spurs to win the race, given that Arsenal are thought to be closing in on a deal, having agreed a £55m fee.
Elliott could be the best option out of the remaining targets, given that he has been lauded as "outrageous" by scout Jacek Kulig in the past, while the Liverpool ace also has experience in the Champions League.
As such, it is exciting news that Tottenham are ready to meet Liverpool's demands, and a fee of around £40m seems reasonable.