Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for the Leicester City playmaker James Maddison in recent weeks.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder scored 18 goals across all competitions last season and there is no doubt that he is one of the most exciting players in the Premier League.
Spurs could definitely use a quality midfielder who can contribute consistently in the final third and Maddison seems like an ideal fit on paper. The Foxes star can chip in with goals, assists and he can be very effective from free kicks as well.
However, former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that the Leicester midfielder is unlikely to hold down a regular starting berth at the London club and therefore the Spurs are unlikely to shell out big money for him this summer.
There have been rumours that the midfielder is valued at around £60 million and Robinson claims that Spurs would only part with that kind of money for a guaranteed starter.
He said to Football Insider: “Maddison is a very good player. He is a player I really like. He is a creative, attacking midfielder who gets you goals.
“The time has come for him to leave Leicester in my opinion. He needs to push on and go to that next level. But, for Spurs to pay £60million for a player who does not fit into the system or the way Conte plays… I can’t see it. I just cannot see a place for him at Spurs.
“They have Son [Heung-min], Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Moura to play alongside Kane and I cannot see Maddison being one of the two in midfield. Yes, he is a top player. But you don’t pay £60million for a player who is not guaranteed to start. He wouldn’t be a regular in my eyes. I cannot see it.”
The Londoners have put together an impressive attack with the signings of Ivan Perisic and Richarlison this summer. It is fair to assume that Antonio Conte is planning an aggressive approach next season and it wouldn’t be surprising if Tottenham opted for a formation with just two midfielders.
In that case, Maddison might struggle for regular game time and he might not be able to play in his natural role as the number ten either.
Like Paul,but he’s talking rubbish. They just paid £60m for Richarlason and he’s not a guaranteed starter by any stretch.