'Something will happen' - Two players in Tottenham team tipped for January transfers
James Maddison and Conor Gallagher could be on the exit list for Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window.
That is the opinion of former senior Tottenham scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
Both players have struggled for minutes so far this season as Roberto De Zerbi attempts to find his best team.
Gallagher arrived in a £34.6million deal from Atletico Madrid in January and has scored in the last two Tottenham games, but he appears to have fallen out of the manager's favour.
Maddison, on the other hand, missed the entirety of last season after tearing his ACL in pre-season.
The 29-year-old has now returned from a slight shoulder injury and is back in contention, but has not yet managed to make his way into a starting XI.
'Something has got to happen'
Tottenham have struggled for creativity this season, but the number 10 position could soon become congested.
Mateus Fernandes currently occupies it, but De Zerbi has the choice of several players capable of playing there.
Lucas Bergvall, Gallagher and Maddison are among them, while Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons are also options upon their return from injury.
"I look at Gallagher and Maddison, and they've been used as substitutes, or Gallagher's been used more than Maddison as a starting player," King told Football Insider.
"I think they've got to start looking at the situation. One of those players is going to have to be looked at probably to leave in the January window. You can't keep those two and you've got Kulusevski coming back, so something has got to happen there.
"Personally, I'd look at Maddison because I know he hasn't been starting. He's a player that I would be thinking, if De Zerbi is going to be allowed to stay in the job, he's a player that he doesn't really fancy."
What has Roberto De Zerbi said about James Maddison?
Despite being hesitant to bring him into the fold, De Zerbi has publicly kept support of Maddison.
"He's another important player for us. He has to stay in a good physical condition," the Italian said after the 3-2 loss to Aston Villa.
"In the last press conference we spoke about the changing intensity of the Premier League. He needs to work harder, like he's done, then he's a different player for us. The quality of James is different than other players."
Whether those words result in consistent minutes after the international break, remains to be seen.