Ange could sign a more prolific version of Maddison as Spurs eye “elite” £60m star – opinion
In January, Tottenham Hotspur could be getting this “elite” £60 million attacking star.
Tottenham Hotspur is currently dealing with a bit of an injury crisis as six players from the first team are sidelined with various ailments. James Madison, who joined the team in the summer, is without a doubt the biggest absence from the squad.
Following the Foxes’ historic relegation to the Championship, the former attacking midfielder for Leicester City signed a summer transfer deal with the London team for £40 million.
Since joining the team, Maddison has made a fantastic contribution, tallying three goals and supplying five assists in 11 games. However, he sustained a serious ankle injury that will prevent him from playing until after Christmas.
To add more depth and quality to the number “10” position, head coach Ange Postecoglou has already found the ideal player to sign in January. He isn’t wasting any time, though.
Spurs could make £60m signing
With Sporting Clube de Portugal’s Pedro Goncalves an attacking star, Postecoglou is reportedly looking to bolster his squad following an outstanding start to the 2023–24 season. In order to relieve Maddison of some of the creative pressure for the remainder of the season, Spurs plan to exercise the £60 million release clause on the 25-year-old in January.
Additionally, the publication is stating that Tottenham has sent scouts to observe the Portugal international multiple times so far this season, including the derby against Benfica on Sunday.
Goncalves is well-known among a certain segment of the north London fan base because he scored an incredible 46-yard goal last season to help Sporting eliminate Mikel Arteta’s team from the Europa League against Spurs’ fierce rivals, Arsenal.
Under Ruben Amorim, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers academy standout has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season at Sporting, scoring five goals and dishing out three assists in 15 games as the Portuguese powerhouses are tied atop the Primeira Liga.
Pedro Goncalves’ stats this season
Just six months had passed since club captain Bruno Fernandes, who led Manchester United with 63 goals and 50 assists in 137 games, left to join Sporting. Goncalves now plays for Sporting.
Throughout his two and a half years in Lisbon, it appeared impossible to replace Fernandes’ numbers. Nonetheless, Goncalves has made 129 goal contributions in 225 games, which includes 50 assists and 79 goals.
During Goncalves’ tenure at Molineux, former Wolves assistant manager Rui Pedro even asserted that the player “used to stand out” in training and predicted he would soon join a major league team.
Given that the playmaker is connected to Spurs of the Premier League, that moment may not be far off. But, considering that Maddison is outperforming the England international in a number of important metrics, it’s unlikely that Goncalves will be content to take a backseat.
| James Maddison vs Pedro Goncalves | ||
|---|---|---|
| Per 90 Metrics | James Maddison | Pedro Goncalves |
| Key Passes | 3.16 | 2.19 |
| Crosses to Penalty Area | 0.10 | 0.38 |
| Assists | 0.51 | 0.1 |
| Expected assists | 0.33 | 0.25 |
| Goals | 0.29 | 0.31 |
| Expected Goals | 0.29 | 0.42 |
| Stats via FBref. | ||
Maddison is the more potent creative threat, as the table indicates, but Goncalves is unquestionably the better and brighter choice if the Lilywhites are looking for more goals, especially considering he scored 20 goals in 51 games the previous season.
Postecoglou will find a way to combine the two on the same team, though. Goncalves is a very adaptable player who has seen action this season at Sporting in a variety of positions, including the number ’10’, the left and right wings, and central midfield.
According to WhoScored, Goncalves has actually produced better-rated performances when playing a deeper role in the middle of the park as opposed to being an attacking midfielder.
In a 4-3-3 that would terrorize even the lowest of low blocks, the Spurs coach might use Goncalves off the right and Maddison through the middle, or he could use the two as double ‘8s’ with a more defensive-minded midfielder like Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg behind them.
