Ray Parlour urges Tottenham to sign 26-year-old PL star this summer

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Pundit Ray Parlour has urged Tottenham Hotspur to sign Leicester City playmaker James Maddison this summer.

Speaking on TalkSPORT (13/6 8:57am), Parlour and Ally McCoist were discussing the 26-year-old’s future.

The England international is almost certainly going to leave the King Power Stadium before next season.

The playmaker was one of Leicester’s standout players alongside Harvey Barnes despite their relegation.

His ten goals and nine assists from an advanced midfield role made him one of the best performers in the league.

Unsurprisingly, he’s already been linked with moves to Newcastle and Tottenham among other clubs.

Parlour now believes James Maddison would be the perfect signing for Tottenham this summer.

He believes the 26-year-old would fill a spot in the Spurs squad that’s been vacant for years now.

Parlour urges Tottenham to sign Maddison

Asked about where the playmaker might end up this summer, Parlour said: “I would say that [James] Maddison at impact at Spurs wouldn’t he than Newcastle?

“I think Newcastle’s midfield is a lot stronger.

“[Rodrigo] Bentancur was out for quite a while and they missed him in central midfield.

“But, Maddison, they’re dying for a player like him at Spurs.”

Ally McCoist added: “I don’t think they’ve replaced [Christian] Eriksen in that particular role.”

Whether or not Tottenham will move to Maddison will depend on how new manager Ange Postecoglou decides to set up his new team.

At Celtic, the Australian coach favoured an attacking 4-3-3 formation.

This often included one deeper midfielder, a box-to-box runner and an advanced playmaker.

Given Celtic’s dominance, the box-to-box player tended to spend a lot more time in attacking positions than tracking back.

It speaks volumes that both Matt O’Riley and Aaron Mooy recorded more than 10 assists from central position for Celtic last season.

Parlour’s suggestion that Tottenham should sign Maddison fits Postecoglou’s mantra in this respect.

Tottenham don’t currently possess a player who could boast those sorts of numbers.

No player reached double figures for assists in the league last season and only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg recorded more than two from midfield.

It does appear as though there’s a Maddison-shaped hole in the Spurs squad right now.