‘No-brainer’ – Aston Villa expert expects Grealish to shine at Tottenham after Maddison blow
Jack Grealish has been tipped to dazzle if he bags a move to Tottenham following James Maddison’s injury which could see him set for a spell on the sidelines.
A largely successful pre-season campaign for the Lilywhites was quickly thrown into despair after their magician picked up a serious injury against Newcastle on 3 August.
The former Leicester midfielder came on for just 12 minutes, only for Maddison to come off injured with “hands over his face”.
From the outside looking in, the damage looked to potentially be season-ending with Frank stating: “It’s most likely he has a bad injury…it’s the same knee as the previous injury”.
With the Englishman awaiting confirmation of how long he will be out of action, Spurs need to act swiftly to find a replacement attacking midfielder, especially given the absence of Dejan Kulusevski as well.
Jack Grealish the key to Tottenham’s midfield dilemma
Football Insider identified three replacements for Maddison which included Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.
Yet, another name in the mix is Man City’s Grealish who has fallen out of favour under Pep Guardiola.
Speaking on talkSPORT (4 August), ex-Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor suggested the Englishman could be the right man to assume the void in Frank’s midfield.
He said: “It seems like a no-brainer. I mean, he [Grealish] is such a talented player and he’s been at it all summer with his fitness work. He’s looking sharp.
“Where he’s had his best game for England in recent years was against Ireland when he played as the number 10…when he broke into the Villa side, number 10 he was playing.
“He’s not 34/35 he’s 29, got a lot of football left in him, I think it’s a no-brainer and whoever gets him will see how talented he is still.”
Tottenham to battle with Everton for Grealish signature
Football Insider verdict
Despite his evident desire to leave the Etihad in search of regular football, landing the 29-year-old will be no easy feat.
Sources told Football Insider on 5 August that both Napoli and Everton will battle to bring in Grealish as Spurs scramble to find a replacement to Maddison.
Similarly, David Moyes is strapped for attacking midfielders with Carlos Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil his only options prior to the start of the season.
Indeed, the Lilywhites could opt to play new signing from West Ham Mohammed Kudus down the middle behind Dominic Solanke.
| Jack Grealish 2024-25 all competitions | |
| Matches played | 32 |
| Minutes | 1541 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 5 |
However, the Ghanian was principally used as a striker or a right winger for the Hammers last time out and may not adapt to what his new manager desires.
The Man City starlet presents himself as a lucrative option to bring to north London on a season-long loan who would quickly adapt to the Tottenham side.
Moreover, with added motivation to play his way onto the plane for the 2026 World Cup, City’s number 10 will be hungry to demonstrate his worth to Thomas Tuchel at club level.