Tottenham Hotspur fans already had a low bar set for expectations from the club, but somehow Daniel Levy managed to limbo underneath the surface of the earth to sneak underneath said bar. The way Spurs blew the Morgan GIbbs-White and Eberechi Eze transfers has been nothing short of remarkable, with the loss of Eze to Arsenal standing as an unforgivable transfer crime in the eyes of a perpetually disappointed fanbase.
Even before James Maddison went down with a torn ACL, Tottenham were already desperate to sign another attacking midfielder, which is why they thought they had a deal planned with GIbbs-White in the first place. But after the No. 10 went down, signing Eze should have been a matter of life and death for Daniel Levy.
The need for a new No. 10 has only increased now, too. Tottenham knew that Dejan Kulusevski would need about another month to get healthy after a knee injury at the end of the 2024/25 season, but, now, it looks like the Spurs midfielder/winger will need even more time to get on the pitch.
According to a report from The Guardian's David Hytner, Kulusevski is now expected to be out until January of next year after undergoing surgery. It's a devastating blow to Tottenham, taking one of their best right wingers and playmakers out of the equation, and it means that Spurs now have no first or emergency-choice No. 10's for the next four to five months of the 2025/26 season.
Tottenham have no playmaking quality
Tottenham have to sign a playmaker now. And because Kulusevski is out until 2025 and for nearly as long as Maddison with every chance of a further prolonged timeline or aggravation, Tottenham absolutely have to listen to Thomas Frank's initial request and sign two No. 10's.
Right now, they have no real playmaking talent of which to speak. That was highlighted strongly by their blown lead against PSG, as their goals were both by the superstar center backs on set pieces. And although they put three past Burnley in a commanding opening display, a lot of the great work was done by Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus individually.
The right playmaker can unlock the rest of this Tottenham attack. Not signing anybody and not having cover for the new guy would be akin to self immolation for Spurs. Tottenham are toast if they don't respond to the latest Kulusevski injury blow with an even more aggressive transfer approach.