Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be plotting a double raid on recently relegated Leicester City, according to the latest reports.
What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?
As per The Sun, the Lilywhites are said to be ready to battle it out with Newcastle United for the signing of both James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, with the pair both set to leave the King Power Stadium this summer following the drop into the Championship.
The report suggests that Spurs and the Magpies are 'pushing hardest' to sign the England duo, with the two men both set to command a fee of roughly £40m each – totalling £80m.
The report suggests that Maddison, in particular, has been a 'long-term target' for Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, with now seemingly an opportune time to pounce with just 12 months remaining on the 26-year-old's existing deal.
Should Tottenham sign Maddison and Barnes?
It is fair to say that the north London outfit are in desperate need of new recruits following what proved to be a rather turbulent and underwhelming campaign at N17, with the club missing out on European qualification and proving unable to end their 15-year trophy drought.
The days of reaching the Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino back in 2019 may feel a world away for both the Spurs support and for Levy, with the Englishman no doubt keen to get back to competing for major honours sooner rather than later.
The aim for any new permanent manager will be to try and fashion a side in a similar image to the one which became regular top-four dwellers during Pochettino's time at the helm, with the Tottenham side then having featured an exciting attacking quartet involving the current pair of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, as well as Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.
Should Kane – who has been linked with a move away of late – and Son opt to stay put this summer, then Levy and co could well bolster that forward line by bringing in the next Alli and Eriksen in the form of Barnes and Maddison – the latter pair having been hailed for their "positive" impact at Leicester in recent seasons, as per BBC's Football Daily.
In the case of Maddison, the former Norwich City man could well be a dream heir to Eriksen in the side, with the Englishman having previously been identified as a possible successor to the Dane back in 2019.
Taking a look at the 2016/17 campaign – in which Pochettino's side finished second behind rivals Chelsea – Eriksen notably contributed eight goals and 16 assists in the top-flight as a marker of his creative brilliance, having typically operated in a playmaking role or on the flanks.
Maddison has the credentials to emulate such success having provided ten goals and nine assists in the most recent campaign, having also been deployed in a number ten berth or in a wide role.
Equally, his younger colleague Barnes could also potentially replicate the goalscoring heroics of the aforementioned Alli, with the latter man having bagged 18 league goals during a stellar 2016/17 season.
While Barnes hasn't quite hit those heights, it is still impressive that the 25-year-old was able to register 13 league goals for a struggling side this season, showcasing that as part of a functioning unit the Burnley native could shine even brighter.
Although the one-time West Bromwich Albion loanee is more of a forward than a midfielder like Alli, the latter man did also operate on the left flank in 16/17 at times, while also playing in an advanced central role behind compatriot Kane – a role which Barnes has also fulfilled in his career to date.
Those comparisons would suggest that if Levy can manage to win the race for the Leicester duo, the heights of the Pochettino era could well be reached once again…
