Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott tipped to be an ideal signing for Tottenham in the wake of James Maddison’s latest knee injury
Tottenham Hotspur have added muscle to their midfield unit with the signing of Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich.
The Portugal international was deemed surplus to requirements at Bayern Munich, and Spurs quickly acted to get a deal done. Thomas Frank wanted a No.6 to address a problem in midfield that has been so apparent in the last few seasons, and the north London club have delivered him Palhinha.
Alongside Palhinha, though, Spurs were also trying to sign Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White. Despite triggering his £60m release clause, a deal for Gibbs-White did not come to fruition as Nottingham Forest sought legal action against Tottenham, looking at whether a specific confidentiality agreement in the release clause had been breached. Eventually, a transfer to White Hart Lane collapsed and the England international ended up signing a new contract with Forest.
The Gibbs-White pursuit made it clear that Thomas Frank is eyeing a new No.10 to compete with the likes of Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison. And now, the need has turned into a desperation following Maddison’s latest injury setback. The creative midfielder sustained a knee injury against Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly in Seoul on Sunday, with Spurs boss stating the injury looks to be a “bad” one.
It seems that the Lilywhites might not be quite ready to stop shopping in midfield just yet, and one summer target has been given further approval to join Frank’s ranks at N17 in the wake of Maddison’s serious-looking injury.
Former Premier League manager backs Tottenham to sign Harvey Elliott
Tottenham have been among some clubs to have shown an interest in signing Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott. Interestingly, the 22-year-old has been looked at as one of the alternative targets to Gibbs-White.
Harvey Elliot’s future at Liverpool remains uncertain following the big-money arrival of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in July, and after enjoying only a handful of starts in the Premier League under Arne Slot, he is seeking an exit. The diminutive midfielder wants to play regularly to give himself a chance of getting selected in Thomas Frank’s England squad for next summer’s World Cup.
Recent reports suggest that the England Under-21 international has made it clear to his potential suitors that he will be willing to only play centrally, and Frank agrees to that vision and is willing to use him in more central areas of the pitch.
And now Spurs have been backed by former Newcastle and Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew to make a move for the out-of-favour-Liverpool playmaker. When asked on talkSPORT whether Elliott would be a good signing for Spurs, Pardew said:
“With Maddison, fingers crossed it’s not a very serious injury, but he’s injured in the short-term and I think [Elliott] would be absolutely ideal to take that role.”
Harvey Elliott’s signing would make sense
While Elliott has struggled to cement his place in the Liverpool side, it is worth noting that he is a quality player and still only 22. Yet, the ex-Fulham trainee has got solid top-flight and Champions League experience, as well as winning habit at Anfield. The Englishman, who won the Player of the Tournament award at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, can fulfil various roles in midfield and attack and play a significant role in Frank’s rebuild at Spurs.
With Maddison and Kulusevski out injured, Elliott’s signing at this moment makes more sense than it was ever before. That said, we must act decisively and get him on board before the new season commences.