Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder James Maddison suffered an injury in the preseason match against North London rivals Arsenal, and it immediately looked concerning. It has now been revealed that the star No. 10 is going to miss the majority of the 2025/26 season - if not all of it - with a torn ACL.
Maddison's injury means that Tottenham 100 percent have to sign an attacking midfielder, and another No. 10 was already an area of interest for them, even before the Maddison injury blow. Early in the transfer window, Tottenham were highly interested in London hero Eberechi Eze, and while their interest in the Crystal Palace star cooled, they then nearly signed another talented English No. 10 in Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.
As Tottenham continue to look at the transfer market for options in the attacking midfield, they must also remember Maddison's injury isn't the only one that impacts the team next season. Another star capable of playing as a playmaking 10, though his main position is on the right wing, is left-footed Swede Dejan Kulusevski, who missed seven games at the end of the 2024/25 campaign with a foot injury.
Tottenham need a No. 10 badly now
According to an article from the Daily Mirror's Ryan Taylor, Kulusevski is expected to miss the first month of the 2025/26 season himself, and this reminder that Kulu is still a way's away from competing should serve as further impetus to Daniel Levy and Thomas Frank to bring in an attacking midfielder. And maybe Tottenham should sign another winger as well.
There are talented young options around European football, and Tottenham have already been linked to winger Maghnes Akliouche of Monaco and Como's breakout star Nico Paz, who was one of the best No. 10's in Italian football last season.
Tottenham are going to have to sign someone, and while they have Mohammed Kudus and Brennan Johnson to make up for Kulusevski on the right wing, they don't have any options at the 10 without Maddison or Kulu. And Kulu can also play as an 8, so missing him further stresses out a midfield that was already thin in those positions coming into the summer 2025 transfer window.
In the first month of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Spurs will, after facing PSG in the UEFA Super Cup, battle Manchester City, rivals West Ham, and potentially Brighton within the first four weeks of the campaign. Those are all games Kulusevski could miss under this timeline, and Bournemotuh on Aug. 30 will also be a real test for a hobbled Spurs side that finished just 17th in the Premier League last season.