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With Spurs confirming the worst about James Maddison’s ACL injury and Thomas Frank offering a gloomy update on the fitness of Dejan Kulusevski after a 4-0 pre-season friendly defeat to Bayern Munich, it looks certain they will have to go back into the transfer market to do something about their moribund attacking options.

Even the seemingly perfect – if emotional – end to Son Heung-min’s Tottenham career looks slightly different in the light of Maddison’s serious injury. The mischievous among you might well ask whether Spurs would even still have sanctioned his exit had the cat not been so entirely out of the bag before that game against Newcastle in Seoul.

That’s a hypothetical, though, and what Spurs need is something real. Worth remembering they were pretty keen on signing Morgan Gibbs-White even before this Maddison setback. That ended… badly for Spurs. They could really do with at least one of these ending rather better over the next week or so.

Nico Paz (Como)

There are conflicting reports about the seriousness and even existence of Spurs’ interest in the Como playmaker, but there would be something amiss if the 20-year-old wasn’t at least on their radar even before the last week’s unpleasantness.

He would appear to have all the necessary tools for Spurs’ needs, but it’s a deeply difficult deal to do at a price Spurs are going to like with his former club Real Madrid entitled to 50 per cent of any fee and in keen and observant possession of a buy-back clause.

Harvey Elliott (Liverpool)

Perhaps not the most exciting of the options within the Premier League but in some ways the most interesting. After the way Elliott starred for England U21s this summer we really are incredibly keen to see what he can do given a full season of proper first-choice, first-team responsibility and there’s a compelling case that Spurs would now be the most fascinating place for that to happen.

There really isn’t another club right now that can offer the same mix of opportunity and big stage for Elliott to prove he can take his age-group dominance into senior football.

There’s nothing wrong with being happy as a vital and useful squad member at this excellent Liverpool side, but it does feel like he could be so much more somewhere else.

Jack Grealish (Man City)

It seems like he’s going to be a key figure in the final weeks of the transfer window. It’s felt like everyone’s been playing a waiting game with Grealish this summer. We all know he’s going to leave City; the question is when and where to.

We get the sense that he’s not yet ready to commit to the kind of teams that might have him at the top of their shopping list, and the teams he might be ready to commit to haven’t yet worked down their list of targets far enough to reach him.

But the time where this game of chicken ends feels closer than ever after that Maddison injury. Even if it doesn’t kick Spurs into desperate action to find out whether the Aston Villa playmaker version of Grealish is still there lurking within the Guardiola automaton, it will surely make other interested parties get a wriggle on.

We’re really not sure we want to see this one, purely because it would mean finding a new player to take second place on our list of the most Spurs player never to actually play for Spurs. Top spot is and always will be, of course, Stewart Downing’s.

Ebere Eze (Crystal Palace)

Tottenham’s interest here is long-standing but Arsenal appear to have stolen a march on their local rivals this summer. But that deal remains undone and the chance for Spurs to make another move of their own is still there.

Can they offer what Arsenal can? They cannot, but that cuts both ways. They can certainly offer him an easier route to unquestioned first-choice selection for 50-odd games in a World Cup year, for instance.

As ever when talking about potential departures from Palace this summer, though, it is worth noting that they themselves are neither desperate nor particularly keen to sell any of their FA Cup-winning stars at this time. This will not be a cheap option.

Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig)

Another high-class option where the interest is long-standing but the attentions of a London rival may render it moot. Chelsea have appeared Simons’ likeliest destination for most of the summer, and again the only real card Spurs have to play is in offering fewer existing players standing in his way.

And that feels like it’s got more chance of counting for something with Eze than it does Simons. And we’re not sure it’s got that much chance with Eze.

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Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

Rogers’ name popped up briefly in connection with Spurs earlier in the summer and there’s a good chance the boat has been missed here, with any deal far more likely before the PSR deadline than after it.

He also limped out of Villa’s 4-0 friendly win over Roma on Wednesday night, raising doubts about his participation in the early weeks of the season. Something that might, counter-intuitively, not be the worst news for Villa in the long-term.

They remain keen to tie him down to a new contract but are surely primed to expect at least a phone call from London. One that very likely also mentions the words ‘Jacob’ and ‘Ramsey’.

Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)

Reality bit for Mainoo in a difficult 24/25 season and there remain doubts about where he best fits into Ruben Amorim’s system at Manchester United. Is he physical enough for a role in the midfield double-pivot? Is he creative enough to be one of the two number 10s?

After a summer full of talk suggesting he could be on the move, the tone has shifted. It now appears more likely he’ll remain at Old Trafford for now, but with United continuing to chuck all sorts of money at all sorts of players it does still feel like some will need recouping somewhere along the way; Mainoo could yet emerge as something of a spare part.

Whether he’s exactly the sort of player Spurs need to take on such a significant creative burden in what currently looks like a team of honest plodders is less certain, but he does possess that Maddison-like ability to unlock a defence with a clever pass others might spot.

Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford)

Look, at some point in this kind of list it is an absolute and irrefutable law that you must pose the question “Who has done this job for the manager elsewhere?”

Damsgaard might not have got the same attention as your Bryan Mbeumos or Yoane Wissas at Brentford last season, but he was a key figure in their attacking efforts and reached double figures for assists.

Frank obviously knows all about a player who started 34 Premier League games for the Bees last season – and came off the bench in all the other four – and he wouldn’t command the price tag of many others on this list. At 25, he’s also a potential long-term rather than stop-gap solution.

But he has five years left on his contract and Brentford’s interest in losing another key figure this summer – and this late on – would, we suggest, be fairly low.

Lucas Paqueta (West Ham)

The very idea of Spurs signing anyone from West Ham was a ludicrous one until as recently as this very summer, and we’ll cheerfully concede that when the first talk of Mohammed Kudus joining Tottenham emerged in June we immediately dismissed the idea and assumed the Hammers and/or Kudus’ camp were simply trying to smoke out interest from elsewhere.

But no. With West Ham no longer quite sure about Kudus after a Difficult Second Season, Spurs came up with a sum of money sufficient to overcome the Hammers’ intrinsic unwillingness to do business with the north London mob.

With Paqueta now free to resume his career after being cleared of spot-fixing charges that looked set to land him a lifetime ban, talk has instantly resumed about whether that career will indeed continue at West Ham.

He had been poised to join Man City before it all kicked off, and they have been mentioned again. In a move that could take out two of the 10 options here in one swoop, there has been talk of City using Grealish as a makeweight in that deal. And you have to concede that Grealish at West Ham feels, if anything, even more correct than Grealish at Tottenham. Although that could just be the colour scheme.

Mason Mount (Manchester United)

Has been one of Manchester United’s best players in pre-season, which is admittedly a little bit like saying the bread has been one of the most appealing elements of a dogsh*t sandwich, but still.

It may be that he’s done enough to convince Amorim he can turn around his MAN UNITED NIGHTMARE rather than needing the seemingly inevitable ESCAPE ROUTE from it, but we do still find ourselves wondering where exactly a player whose career has shambled down a cul-de-sac fits in at United.

Whether anyone looking to resurrect a career gone backwards would be wise or keen to attempt that challenge at this iteration of Tottenham is another valid consideration.

According to reports, Bayern Munich are ‘gearing up’ to sell Tottenham Hotspur legend Harry Kane, with Spurs having the ‘first refusal’ on one condition.

The England international is one of the best strikers in Premier League history and Tottenham arguably held him back before he joined Bayern Munich for around £86m in the 2023 summer window.

Spurs opened the door to Kane‘s exit as he entered the final year of his contract and he attracted interest from Manchester United, though the north London struck a deal with Bayern Munich after the Red Devils refused to meet the striker’s valuation.

Kane, unsurprisingly, has been a revelation at Bayern Munich as he’s grabbed 85 goals and 26 assists in 96 appearances for the Bundesliga giants.

Last season, Kane ended his long wait for a team trophy as he helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga, but he has been sporadically linked with a potential exit over the past couple of seasons.

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Last week, a report from The Telegraph claimed there are ‘murmurs’ that he is eyeing a return to the Premier League ahead of the 2026 summer transfer window.

Kane is only under contract at Bayern Munich until 2027 and the release clause in his contract ‘decreases each year’, meaning he could be bought for a bargain price next summer.

At this point, Spurs would surely at least be interested in re-signing Kane, but the same report claimed Man Utd are currently his most likely destination.

‘Despite Tottenham’s first-option clause, sources still believe Manchester United currently provide the most likely destination for Kane if he were to leave Bayern this time next year.’

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On Friday morning, X account Indykaila News provided an update on Kane’s situation. They have previously been renowned for being a parody account, but they now have ‘a team of five respected reporters’, have over 570k followers and have recently been credited by The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

Regarding Tottenham’s clause, Indykaila have pointed out that they have the ‘first refusal’ to ‘match an ‘offer’ for Kane ‘if Bayern accept an offer from another Premier League club’.

It is also noted that there was a ‘real chance’ of Kane leaving this summer, but an exit next year currently looks far more feasible.

The report claims ‘a big meeting just went down with the Bayern bosses, and it looks like they’re gearing up to let him go next summer’.

And while a return to the Premier League feels most likely, a shock move to Barcelona is on the table as they are ‘eyeing him as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski’, who is set to leave the La Liga giants upon the expiry of his contract in 2026.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly had a €40m offer rejected by Como for Nico Paz as they look to replace the injured James Maddison.

Maddison tore his ACL during a pre-season match against Newcastle, with scans later revealing he would be out for the majority of the new season.

That left new manager Thomas Frank with an unexpected hole in his midfield, prompting the North London club to go on the lookout for a replacement.

While names like Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey have been linked, Italian media suggest Spurs are targeting the 20-year-old Como midfielder Nico Paz.

The Spanish-born Argentine only joined Como last season, but impressed in his first season in Italy. Before that, he spent six years in the Real Madrid academy, which resulted in him playing eight league matches for the first team in the 2023-24 season.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Spurs put forward a bid of €40m for Paz, but it has been rejected by Cesc Fabregas’ side.

Di Marzio say the club values the player at €70m and that an offer of at least €60m would be needed before negotiations could begin.

Como’s insistence on a high price may be due to a contract stipulation Madrid put into the sale, enabling them to collect 50% of any fee.

Meanwhile, Daily Mirror reporter Ryan Taylor claims Tottenahm sources have denied submitting a bid.

With Dejan Kulusevski also sidelined for the first month of the new season, Spurs are expected to enter the transfer market and have been keeping an eye on Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss.

Also on the shortlist is Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, who is believed to be available for a fee around £45m, but he could move to Leipzig to replace the Chelsea-bound Xavi Simons.

Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze are also options for the reigning Europa League champions.

Since moving to Spurs in 2023, Maddison has already missed a number of games through injury. An ankle injury kept him out for 13 matches in the 2023-24 season while a calf strain and knee injury saw him miss 11 games last season.

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On his latest injury, Spurs said the 28-year-old will have surgery in the coming days.

“We can confirm that James Maddison will undergo surgery for a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee,” a club statement read.

“The 28-year-old midfielder suffered the injury during our pre-season friendly against Newcastle United on Sunday in Seoul.

“His surgery will take place in the coming days and, following that, James will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team.

“Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur wishes James a full and speedy recovery. We will be supporting him every step of the way.”

The interesting thing about Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy’s lengthy chat with Gary Neville for The Overlap lies less in anything he says and more in the very existence of such a thing.

He has a lot of predictable opinions about state ownership and the like, and is very, very proud of his stadium. But none of that really matters.

What’s notable is that this is the second significant, lengthy public appearance from Levy this summer, following the now infamous interview with Tottenham’s in-house team in which he said Spurs ‘need to win the league’ before then embarking on another summer where he would (thus far) yet again fail to provide yet another new manager with anything like the necessary tools to do so.

The kind of wide-ranging interview he’s given Neville on what amounts to a personal tour of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium marks a bigger step out of the comfort zone even than that. It is wildly out of character.

Neville:Levy isn’t exactly Frost:Nixon but having managed to accidentally make himself the story even with softball questions from his own media team, it’s still a bold choice to invite even the friendliest and least challenging of external interviewers in for another crack.

It’s clear that this summer above all others, Levy feels the need to explain himself. He has never previously felt anything like this keen to get his side of the story across, with his communications with the fans generally restricted to programme notes and the occasional open letter on the club website at the beginning of September and/or February, the content of which amounts to ‘Dear fans, we tried, it is hard, COYS, Daniel”.

Levy is brilliant in many ways, but an owner who instinctively gets and understands his football club and its fans he is not. And never has been. There is at times a sense of genuine bafflement that he isn’t more beloved for delivering this undeniably exceptional stadium facility.

Any time he mentions the Europa League success he follows it up with “which was great” or some other such qualifier. It sounds very much like he’s trying to convince himself rather than anyone else; that he simply cannot, on a fundamental level, understand why Tottenham fans were more excited about that than having an NFL pitch underneath the football pitch at their world-leading stadium.

And yet, the Europa League victory is a huge part of why Levy feels the need to go public this summer after deciding to get rid of the man who removed that albatross from around Tottenham’s neck.

Levy’s reasons for moving on from Ange Postecoglou are, in the cold light of day, entirely rational. Seventeenth was an absurd place to finish in the league, and the injury crisis was never as big a factor in that disastrous league form as was suggested. Even as the big names returned, the league form remained entirely moribund.

But the puzzle Levy cannot resolve in his businessman’s brain is that for the fans this was all fine. That that one night in Bilbao made everything else worth it. That Spurs fans, almost to a man, woman and child, would not for a single second consider swapping last season for another trophyless campaign and fourth-place league finish.

It’s not to say Spurs’ trophy drought was Levy’s fault, exactly. But at Spurs more than just about anywhere else the parameters of success as far as the club’s suits were concerned were very clear, and increasingly at odds with those of supporters who just wanted to feel that feeling of watching your team win a trophy again.

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Part of the reason Spurs’ trophy drought felt destined to continue was that they were so very clear in how they prioritised competitions where their chances of success – at least success measured by the harshest standard of ‘actually winning the thing’ – were lowest.

Spurs’ priorities every year have been the Premier League and Champions League – either by being in it or trying to get back into it.

The domestic cups have been nothing more than a distraction, and the evidence is clear. Managers come and managers go, but none of them have given the domestic cup competitions any serious attention in well over a decade now. Mauricio Pochettino wasn’t that interested in them, and nor has any manager since given them much heed. This has to be a message coming down from on high; by all means go and do well in these if you must, but they will not come up in your performance review.

Spurs haven’t been beyond the fifth round of the FA Cup since 2018 – an absurd state of affairs. They’ve done better – slightly – in the Carabao but the good runs Spurs have had in that competition have tended to coincide with some favourable draws.

Last season, Postecoglou and his daft team managed to contrive a situation where, for the first time ever under Levy’s stewardship, a scenario emerged into being where prioritising winning one of the ‘other’ trophies became the correct course of action for all aspects of the club, the business, and the fans.

So bad was Spurs’ league season that the chance of reaching Europe via the more orthodox route was out of the picture long before the Europa League reached the business (no pun intended) end.

Winning that trophy and the Champions League place that would come with it offered Spurs the chance to pull an absolute Homer to save their entire season. Against all Spursy logic, they did it.

And Levy still doesn’t seem to understand quite what happened or quite what it meant.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge blow as the severity of James Maddison’s injury has been confirmed as they plot a raid on Aston Villa.

This summer has been difficult for Spurs as Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha are their only two marquee signings, while they have paid to make loan deals for Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso permanent.

This is while the north London outfit have missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White after being accused of tapping up the Nottingham Forest star, while Heung-Min Son has left to join MLS side LAFC.

Now, Spurs have been dealt a further blow as it has emerged that Maddison has torn his ACL and will ‘miss the majority’ of the 2025/26 campaign.

The 28-year-old suffered the injury over the weekend as Spurs faced Newcastle United in a friendly and their worst fears have been realised after BBC Sport reported that he ‘underwent tests’.

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BBC Sport added:

‘Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and is expected to miss the majority of the forthcoming season.

‘Sources have told BBC Sport that Maddison is set to have surgery and will become a long-term absentee as he starts his recovery programme.’

Fabrizio Romano, meanwhile, claims Maddison ‘will be out for the next six/seven months’ and Spurs will ‘look at the market again soon’.

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In a statement on Tottenham’s official website, the club confirmed that the England international is set to undergo surgery. They said: ‘His surgery will take place in the coming days and, following that, James will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team.

‘Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur wishes James a full and speedy recovery. We will be supporting him every step of the way.’

Maddison will be difficult to replace, but a report from Caught Offside claims Spurs have made ‘direct contact’ with Aston Villa as they plot a move for Jacob Ramsey.

It has been suggested that the Villans could be open to selling Ramsey for the right price as they are at risk of breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules.

The report from Caught Offside claims Spurs face competition from West Ham for Ramsey, who could cost as much as £43m.

‘Sources with a close understanding of the player’s situation have informed CaughtOffside that he has interest from Spurs, West Ham and Nottingham Forest this summer.

‘Forest have been interested in Ramsey for a long time, and there has recently also been interest registered by both Spurs and West Ham.’

Tottenham have reportedly ‘submitted an immediate enquiry’ to Manchester City for Jack Grealish followed the injury blow suffered by James Maddison.

Spurs have made some useful additions to their squad over the summer. They’ve now signed five players, including Mathys Tel, Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha.

However, there are also some losses, with Son Heung-min confirming he’s leaving, likely to LAFC after Fabrizio Romano revealed there’s an agreement in place for him to head there. Meanwhile, midfielder Maddison could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Maddison was injured in the 1-1 pre-season draw with Newcastle, and Thomas Frank suggested things did not look good, stating: “It’s most likely he has a bad injury, we need to be honest with that, it’s the same knee as the previous injury. Of course, we don’t know the full assessment of it, so we need to see that.”

Tottenham look to be moving quickly to ensure they can fill the gap left by Maddison and Son well.

According to Sports Mole, they have ‘submitted an immediate enquiry’ for Man City star Grealish following Maddison’s injury.

While Serie A big hitters Napoli were believed to be the leaders in the race for Grealish, the report suggests they are ‘no longer the front-runners’.

What’s more, City are expected to be open to ‘reasonable offers for a loan or permanent exit’ for the forward.

Grealish started just seven games in the Premier League last season, as he as leapfrogged by a number of players, so it seems he might be surplus to requirements at the Etihad.

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Tottenham previously came close to signing him, and there have been frequent links with the City man over the last few years.

As such, if he is no longer wanted at City, it seems Tottenham is a club at which he will be an important player, whether they sign him on loan or permanently.

Spurs would have the luxury of being able to play Grealish either as a midfielder or winger. They have of course lost a midfielder in Maddison, but a forward in Son, while Dejan Kulusevski, who can also play in both areas, is injured, too.

Tottenham are said to be in the mix for the signing of Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, so if he was to be signed along with Grealish, the City man is likely to occupy a midfield spot, where he had success at Aston Villa.

Tottenham have suffered a major blow ahead of the 2025/26 season after James Maddison went down with what looked like a serious knee injury in the closing stages of their pre-season clash with Newcastle in Seoul.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw, Harvey Barnes equalising for Newcastle after Brennan Johnson had given Spurs an early lead, but until the late drama had been most notable for marking Son Heung-min’s farewell to Spurs after 10 years of stellar service.

Club captain Son had announced in the build-up to this friendly in his home country that he had decided to leave Spurs this summer, and he broke down in tears after being substituted midway through the second half.

But Son’s departure has now been potentially compounded by the injury to Maddison, who went down in obvious distress with no other player around him in the final 10 minutes, with the reactions of his team-mates suggesting a major problem before he left the field on a stretcher.

Spurs’ new manager Thomas Frank confirmed after the game that it looked a ‘bad injury’. Maddison left the stadium on crutches with his right leg heavily strapped. He spent time out of the team towards the end of last season after an injury to the same knee.

If that injury is as expected a serious one that rules Maddison out for an extended period on the back of Son’s departure, then it leaves Spurs looking short in attacking areas.

Spurs have already endured a difficult summer in the transfer market. An attempt to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest appeared to be a done deal but descended into an acrimonious affair with threats of legal action and official complaints before Gibbs-White committed his future to Forest.

Spurs have Johnson – who was the leading scorer last season and netted the winner in the Europa League final – as well as Dominic Solanke, while the anticipated departure of Richarlison has yet to materialise. Mathys Tel’s loan move from Bayern Munich has been made permanent to bolster the attacking ranks but with Son on his way and the potential for Maddison to spend an extended spell on the sidelines there is likely to be increased urgency from Spurs’ recruitment drive in attacking areas.

Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as an option for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, according to reports in Spain.

Araujo is under contract in Catalonia until 2031, having signed a long-term extension in January.

The Uruguayan international has made 175 appearances for the Blaugrana since making his first-team debut in October 2019 — a year after joining from CA Boston River for €4.7million.

Injuries have hampered the 26-year-old in recent seasons. He featured just 12 times in Barcelona’s La Liga-winning campaign, making 25 appearances across all competitions but starting only 17.

Araujo has been the subject of transfer speculation for years, emerging as a top target for Manchester United and Chelsea back in 2022. Despite signing multiple extensions — the latest tying him down until 2031 — he continues to be linked with United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City.

Now, a new club has entered the mix: Tottenham, who are preparing for the 2025/26 season under new head coach Thomas Frank.

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The ex-Brentford boss will lead Spurs into the Champions League after Ange Postecoglou’s side won the Europa League in May. His first competitive game will be against European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on August 13.

West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus has been Frank’s marquee signing so far, while Spurs have also confirmed the permanent signings of former loanees Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso.

Additionally, Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha is expected to join on loan with an option to buy for around £25million, having already completed a medical.

Spurs’ transfer business isn’t expected to end there, with the club now linked with a surprise move for Araujo.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Spurs ‘could make a move for Araujo’, with a summer transfer now considered possible.

It’s claimed the Uruguayan ‘is going through a difficult time in his career, and his current situation hasn’t gone unnoticed at Barcelona‘, with Spurs reportedly keen to take advantage.

Araujo is said to be ‘no longer untouchable’ due to ‘raised doubts’ over his recent performances. As a result, Barcelona’s board ‘is beginning to consider a sale if a compelling offer arrives’.

Tottenham reportedly hold ‘the most serious interest’ in the centre-back and ‘have made initial moves to test his signing’.

The report claims Araujo ‘fits the bill’ for what Frank wants in a defender: ‘a physical and prestigious profile’.

Despite being one of Barcelona’s vice-captains, Araujo could be open to the move, with sources close to the player ‘not ruling out a change of scenery’.

He’s still expected to command a significant fee — one of the key reasons why Barca are open to offers.

The report adds: ‘The London project offers him continuity, playing time, and a new competitive challenge in a league that has proven ideal for his style.’

These five English youngsters are set to move clubs this summer. But where are they going? Well, we’ve tried to predict that, with Tottenham Hotspur snapping up two starlets…

Harvey Elliott (Liverpool)

“I don’t really want to be wasting years on my career because it’s a short career. I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself. If that’s to go somewhere else, then it’s a decision that I’m going to have to make.”

That’s Liverpool attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott earlier this summer. The club’s signing of Florian Wirtz does the 22-year-old no favours, while Hugo Ekitike is another signing to contend with out wide. Luis Diaz has left, but then Alexander Isak is coming in. The writing is on the wall for the Under-21 European Championship’s Player of the Tournament.

We are well over a month on from the acceptance that Elliott will leave Anfield this summer, yet there has been a concerning lack of movement. He was a big name at the start of the window but it’s gone pretty quiet. We said he’d be ‘perfect’ for Manchester United, but there’s no chance that happens. Then you have West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. The London clubs are being linked more than others, while Newcastle United – who have more alarming priorities – are in the picture.

After missing out on Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, Tottenham should go all in on Elliott. They need a creative spark in midfield, and more depth in the middle of the park in general. The Liverpool youngster has the versatility to play in a midfield three, behind the striker, or on either wing. Thomas Frank has plenty of depth in wide areas, but James Maddison’s injury record is concerning, and Dejan Kulusevski – who’s also struggled with injuries this year – is naturally a winger.

So, yes, a transfer to Spurs makes sense. Not just for the club, but for Elliott. If he moves there, he’ll still have Champions League football and a platform to become an England regular. Competition for places in Thomas Frank’s midfield is fierce, but from what Elliott has shown us, we’re confident that he’s good enough.

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James McAtee (Manchester City)

Reports suggest that Man City want Cole Palmer money for James McAtee. Considering they massively underpriced the former, we can’t blame them. Now worth over £100million on Transfermarkt and surely not available for anything below £180m, Palmer joined Chelsea for around £40m in September 2023.

Palmer played 41 times (12 starts) for the Cityzens, scoring six and assisting two. Nobody could foresee what the 23-year-old would become at Chelsea, which means it’s unfair to completely disregard McAtee – 34 appearances and seven goals for City – as capable of reaching a similar level. They are both young, English attacking midfielders, who will leave having been unable to repeat Phil Foden’s success. It’s hardly an easy task considering how much City invest on players.

While it’s unfair to disregard McAtee as a potential Palmer, it’s difficult to envision him moving to a ‘Big Six’ rival, besides Spurs, who, as we’ve said, want to bring in a creative midfielder. Aston Villa could be a good fit if Morgan Rogers or Jacob Ramsey leaves, but they are clearly working with a very limited budget and won’t be spending £40m on McAtee.

We really like the Bundesliga links, and as things stand, a move to Germany seems the most likely. Borussia Dortmund are being linked but recently signed Jobe Bellingham and are now looking for a more natural wide player after selling Jamie Gittens to Chelsea. Then you have long-time admirers Bayer Leverkusen, on top of Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt. Stuttgart finished ninth last season, making them the only club on that list not in the Champions League.

The Bundesliga has proven to be an incredible springboard for English talent and McAtee surely knows that. Leverkusen are a good fit and say what you like about Erik ten Hag, he’s done some excellent work with young players in his managerial career.

Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea)

There’s no shame in failing at Chelsea. Especially as a young player. They sign so many players that it’s difficult to keep up. Plenty of promising youngsters will be regretting choosing the Stamford Bridge project, and Chukwuemeka is one of them.

There was strong competition for the midfielder’s signature when it became clear he’d leave Aston Villa for around £15m in the 2022 summer transfer window. Every top club, and Manchester United, wanted him, but it was Chelsea that won the race and since then, the 21-year-old has scored twice in 32 matches for the Londoners, starting a bleak five times.

Chukwuemeka, like McAtee, seems destined for a move abroad. He’s already had a taste, spending the second half of last season on loan at Dortmund. He scored on his only Bundesliga start and was only an unused substitute twice during his time in Germany, which is…something.

In order to fulfil his potential, the ex-Villa youngster should leave the Premier League, but his Dortmund spell hints that a Europa League or Conference League outfit could be the way to go. Recommending RB Leipzig completely contradicts that, but that’s what we’re doing. The important thing is, they surely won’t miss out on Europe again this season.

Leipzig have a proven track record of developing young talents. Just look at Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko. Both are set to move clubs for a combined ~£130m this summer. Chukwuemeka should become the second Englishman to play for Red Bull FC after Emile Smith Rowe.

Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)

It’s fair to say Mainoo is ‘available’. He’s not ‘up for sale’ or anything of the sort, but United would listen to offers for their academy graduate to help ease their Profit and Sustainability worries. The 20-year-old holds the pure profit key, which doesn’t just unlock the ability to reinvest, but also unlocks the part of the brain that makes you think it’s okay to sell your most promising youngster and someone who’s been at the club since they were seven to sign someone from abroad. Don’t tell Matt Law.

Mainoo was one of the very few positives for the Red Devils in 2023/24, until they won the FA Cup, which was quite a big positive. His breakout season was fantastic and a reason for the miserable Old Trafford faithful to be optimistic. Last season was less fruitful for the young midfielder, despite a big Euro 2024 with England. Still, United shouldn’t be considering cashing in. But, This Is Manchester United We’re Talking About. And Manchester United are a circus.

Chelsea? The upside is gargantuan, but the downside is career-threatening. We don’t want their bloated squad to completely bugger Mainoo’s development. Yet, there’s a strong chance he could go there and become one of the world’s leading midfielders.

And then there’s Spurs. Yes, these guys again. Not Real Madrid, who Defensa Central reckon are interested. Mainoo is more of a box-to-box midfielder than a creative one, or even a deep-lying No.6. Frank loves energy and Mainoo can bring that in abundance. It shouldn’t be a case of ‘Elliott or Mainoo?’ for the Londoners; they can get both and give them the playing time they want.

Tyler Morton (Liverpool)

We’ll truly find out if young Morton is available in due course, with Lyon reportedly keen on signing him from Liverpool. Should the Reds reject the French side’s offer, it will become clear that he’s not for sale, or that the club’s asking price has not been met.

There have been Club Brugge, Braga, Celtic, Ajax and West Ham links but Lyon’s interest is serious. They’ve just lost a key midfield figure in Jordan Veretout and are clearly impressed by the 22-year-old’s Under-21 European Championship campaign with England. He played five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went back-to-back, assisting in the final victory over old foes Germany.

He has also spent time on loan at Hull City and Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, with opportunities at Anfield hard to come by. He has 14 appearances, which shows he hasn’t been completely ignored, but it’s definitely time to move on and become a regular for a top-flight team.

Lyon can provide him with that platform and with only a year left on his Liverpool contract, might get a deal done for a very decent price.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur have ‘agreed personal terms’ with Bayern Munich star Joao Palhinha amid interest from Manchester United.

This summer transfer window has been frustrating for Spurs as they have missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White, who has penned a new contract after Nottingham Forest made a tapping-up accusation.

Still, the north London outfit have spent £120m on signings this summer as they have landed Mohammed Kudus, while Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso have joined the club permanently after last season’s loans.

Now, Tottenham have turned their attention to signing former Fulham star Palhinha, who has reportedly featured on a midfield shortlist for Man Utd.

Last summer, the 30-year-old left Fulham to join Bayern Munich for a potential overall fee of £47m, but he is set for a return to the Premier League after only making 25 appearances for the Bundesliga champions in the 2024/25 campaign.

READ: Tottenham star ‘edges closer’ to ‘sensational move’; Romano drops ‘green light’ update on second exit

On Thursday, Spurs moved to the front of the queue for Palhinha’s signature, with Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg revealing ‘advanced talks’ over the transfer.

He revealed:

‘Tottenham are in advanced talks with Bayern Munich over the loan signing of Joao Palhinha, according to Sky in Germany.

‘Sky Sports News understands it would be a straight loan as it stands without an option or an obligation to buy.’

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Transfer expert Romano subsequently revealed that Palhinha has ‘agreed personal terms’ ahead of a move to Spurs, who will ‘cover his salary’. He has also confirmed two details regarding the structure of the deal.

He tweeted: ‘Tottenham have agreed personal terms with João Palhinha and are in advanced talks with Bayern.

‘Initial loan for Palhinha… and understand the agreement will also include a buy option clause, not mandatory. Spurs will cover his salary, deal at final stages.’

Journalist Ben Jacobs added: ‘Joao Paulinha close to joining Spurs on an initial loan.

‘Paulinha has already agreed to the move. Parties now finalising a potential buy option.

‘As revealed, Paulinha told Spurs he’s keen to move permanently, but loan formula will remain.’