Tottenham have confirmed the news we were all expecting, with James Maddison set to undergo surgery after rupturing his ACL.
As a result, there is a huge creative void in Thomas Frank's ranks, and the club will only be setting themselves up for failure if they fail to act in the transfer market.
We know there is interest in signing a new No. 10, given our failed pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White. The club were willing to trigger a £60m release clause that no one was supposedly meant to know about, suggesting that funds are on the table to make a splash.
The emotional departure of Son Heung-min leaves another void, and, ideally, the club focus their attention on a player capable of functioning not only as Frank's creative heartbeat from a central position, but someone who can also drift wide and operate as an inside forward. Eberechi Eze and Iliman Ndiaye immediately spring to mind.
Tottenham must fill James Maddison's creative void
We can confirm that James Maddison will undergo surgery for a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 7, 2025
We will be supporting you every step of the way, Madders 🤍
Maddison's ACL surgery, which was confirmed by the club on Thursday morning, means he could miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign.
It's a devastating blow, and Spurs will likely feel the effects even if they're aggressive in the market. Maddison is a do-it-all creator. While a savvy operator in and around the opposition's box, he also takes responsibility in the build-up to function as a linker between defence and attack.
The Englishman has suffered physically since joining the club, but his numbers are nonetheless impressive. After notching 13 Premier League goal contributions in 28 appearances during his debut season, Maddison recorded 16 in 31 games last season, all while playing a key role in our journey to the Europa League final.
Spurs have already seen potential options to mitigate Maddison's void come off the table, while Dejan Kulusevski is also out injured. Enzo Millot is heading to Saudi Arabia, Chelsea are working on Xavi Simons, and Harvey Elliott looks to be Bundesliga-bound. Arsenal had been leading the race for Eze, but there has been little movement on that front in recent days.
Eze is many supporters' ideal, but Jack Grealish and Bilal El Khannouss have also been linked. A motivated Grealish would be capable of killing two birds with one stone, but he's been off the grid since Manchester City won the treble. El Khannouss would raise the technical level of this Tottenham team after impressing for a bad Leicester side last season, but he would be a better signing had he been able to play second fiddle to Maddison.
My gut says we move for the Moroccan international, but don't be surprised if we make a play for Grealish, too. Perhaps signing both is feasible. El Khannouss' capacity to drop in and resist pressure combined with the maverick talent of Grealish further upfield could be a useful combination, and the Englishman may be the personality N17 needs off the back of a huge departure.
Whomever the playmaker of choice, Spurs must move swiftly with precision and clarity. This is a desperate situation.