Agbonlahor: Tottenham backed to sign James Maddison in January after source’s reveal
Gabby Agbonlahor has backed Tottenham to sign James Maddison in January.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England attacker claimed Maddison is the “perfect” player for Spurs and will help their overreliance on Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.
Tottenham have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League and Antonio Conte has insisted his side were still a work in progress.
As quoted by football.london after the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday (23 October), Conte claimed he needed “two or three transfer windows” to make the club competitive.
Sources told Football Insider last month (29 September) that Maddison would jump at the chance to join Tottenham as he enters the final 18 months of his Leicester City contract and eyes a move to a Champions League club.
“They need to bring in more players,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“I really feel like they are missing a number 10. The Newcastle game was the sort of game where they needed a number 10 to get in the hole and be that player who needs to be marked.
“As much as they’ve made a great start, if they don’t get that player in, we could be talking about Spurs battling for top-four. It’s not guaranteed.
“All of their midfielders are not goalscorers, they are just tidy on the ball.
“James Maddison is the perfect player to play in the hole, 100 per cent. It would keep Harry Kane further forward.
“Spurs’ formation as well, for me, I don’t like it. They could go to a 4-2-3-1 with Son on the left, Kane down the middle, Maddison in the hole, Richarlison or Kuluesvski on the right with Hojbjerg and Bentacur as the two sitters.
“He doesn’t like it because he doesn’t trust his defence, that’s the problem. When you have three centre halves, one of them has the ball a lot as that extra player and teams can work that out.
“For me, Spurs need to get going and find other players who can step up and not rely on Kane and Son.”
In other news, Tottenham are close to agreeing a naming rights deal worth £21million-a-year more than Arsenal.