Tottenham have been one of the most putrid teams in the Premier League this season, and if it weren't for the sheer futility of the three promoted Premier League sides this year, Spurs would be in serious contention for relegation under Ange Postecoglou.
There are so many problems with Tottenham right now, but one of the biggest is the fact that Spurs do not have enough difference-makers in their team. Son Heung-min has declined so sharply this season that the main star of the show is now James Maddison, and he's not nearly at the right level to be the best player on a team that aspires to finish in the top four of the Premier League.
Keeping Bayern Munich left wing loanee Mathys Tel would be a step in the right direction, but it would be insufficient. After bailing on Desire Doue last summer and watching him shine for Champions League finalists PSG, Daniel Levy and Tottenham have to rectify things this summer by making sure they take any opportunity they can get to sign special youngsters with the quality to become world-class Premier League superstars.
One opportunity is Manchester City star James McAtee, who could be next in the line of homegrown playmakers that includes Phil Foden and Chelsea's Cole Palmer, two Premier League Player of the Season-caliber stars.
Manchester City could be willing to sell James McAtee
According to a report from Danny Rust and Dean Jones of GiveMeSport, Tottenham are keeping an eye on McAtee as a transfer option this summer, as he has just one year left on his contract. GiveMeSport report that McAtee is becoming increasingly interested in signing with a new team, and apparently Pep Guardiola and Man City are willing to sell him, with the report pointing towards a recent poor performance against bottom-feeders Southampton.
McAtee will be wanted by so many clubs in the Premier League and even abroad, with top recruiters Bayer Leverkusen rumored to be among the teams interested. But as with Doue, Tottenham can't let the threat of competition dissuade them from making a serious sporting and then financial offer ot both McAtee and Manchester City.
Maybe McAtee isn't all that he's cracked up to be, and, at 22, he is a young player but not necessarily a true prospect like Doue. But he is obviously talented and could very well be another top player that Manchester City simply miss out on because of 1) a glut of options and 2) Guardiola's own deficiencies as a talent evaluator. (And yes, he does have his drawbacks, like everyone.)
Man City made that mistake with Palmer, and he is now the best playmaker in the Premier League after Kevin De Bruyne's decline and the main reason why Chelsea have gone from being a team almost as disappointing as Tottenham to a true Champions League-level side. Let's see if Tottenham are willing to take the plunge on McAtee this summer.