Tottenham Hotspur are desperate for a playmaker at this point, because Eberechi Eze put the North London giants in quite a bind by spurning them at the last second to join crosstown rivals Arsenal in a move that could haunt them for the remainder of the 2025/26 Premier League season in what will surely be a top-five battle to remember.
Even without a real No. 10, Tottenham have gotten off to a dream start through two Premier League Matchdays under the tactical genius of Thomas Frank. They have outscored Burnley and Manchester City 5-0, showing a level of defensive prowess that was never close to forming last season under Ange Postecoglou.
Tottenham do need a source of chance creation, though, to gel it all together, because the season will get more difficult. And James Maddison and even Dejan Kulusevski are still not close to returning to boost the attack either.
Options in the attacking midfield are dwindling, but Tottenham have added arguably the most exciting possibility left within the Premier League to their radar. According to a report from the Daily Mail's Simon Jones, Spurs have placed West Ham attacking midfielder and winger Lucas Paqueta on their transfer wishlist in their dire search for a playmaker after Eze's major snub.
Tottenham have eyes on the biggest prizes
Tottenham already pulled off a masterful 55 million pound transfer with West Ham earlier this transfer window, bringing in Mohammed Kudus, whose dynamism and work ethic have already made him a fan favorite and arguably the biggest threat in this emerging Spurs side.
So adding Paqueta along with Kudus - another industrious player with plenty of creative flair - would be an absolute dream coup for Thomas Frank, especially considering the dearth of superior options to the Brazilian attacking midfielder on the market. The fact that Paqueta, like Kudus, can play virtually anywhere in the attack is a huge bonus.
After the whole betting scandal, Paqueta may be available, and while West Ham can't afford to hemorrhage more talent with how barren their squad is and how questionable of a manager Graham Potter is, you can't always back the Hammers to make the best decision.
Tottenham have a great opportunity to make one of their London rivals bleed even more and benefit their own push to be a Champions League surprise package and, dare anyone says this out loud, a Premier League darkhorse this season. Paqueta could really push Spurs over the edge.