James Maddison has all the tools to be Tottenham’s ready-made Christian Eriksen replacement

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The protracted Christian Eriksen saga is no closer to a conclusion as we enter the final few days of the European transfer window. Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has even admitted (via BBC Sport) it is having an adverse effect on his squad after using Eriksen as a substitute for two of their three games this season.

Many Tottenham fans are resigned to Eriksen’s departure. If not this summer, then in January or even on a free transfer next year. The Denmark midfielder wants a new challenge and Spurs need to start thinking about replacements.

Without Eriksen’s creativity, Tottenham sometimes struggle to break deep-lying and organised teams down. There is one obvious candidate to replace Eriksen at Spurs and that is Leicester City’s James Maddison. Here are three reasons why.

Confidence in his own ability

Maddison is playing with confidence. Brendan Rodgers has given him a free role in the Leicester midfielder and he is thriving with the added responsibility. He loves being the centre of attention on the pitch; he is always looking for the ball, drawing fouls and winding up the opposition defenders and taking all the set-pieces.

The 22-year-old’s confidence was displayed in the recent EFL Cup win against Newcastle United. Maddison kept his nerve to score a ‘Panenka’ penalty, dinking it over Karl Darlow. Some might call it arrogance but the youngster has a swagger and confidence in his ability to pull off some audacious bits of skill.

Midfield playmaker

Earlier in this article, I mentioned that Eriksen was Tottenham’s chief creator. In fact, over the years, they have become over-reliant on the 27-year-old in certain games. In close matches, Eriksen can be the difference between a 0-0 draw or a 1-0 win. Maddison has the same ability.

Last season, the ex-Coventry and Norwich talent provided more chances for other players than anyone else in the Premier League. He has a rarely-found combination of top-class vision and the ability to hit any pass he wants. This is also found in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Eriksen.

Maddison has the creative ability to unlock tough defences and win matches, just like Eriksen can. The England midfielder also scores all kinds of goals so he is the perfect player for this role.

The sky is the limit

When Tottenham signed Eriksen, he was a 21-year-old who had shown plenty of promise at Ajax. Maddison is one year older but he still has all of his best years ahead of him.

At the age of 22, Maddison is dictating games in the Premier League and not just against the lesser teams. He dominated the Chelsea midfield earlier this season and has the ability to get even better. Maddison has frightening potential and Tottenham would find their ideal Eriksen replacement if they signed him.