Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made a huge stride forward in their pursuit of Ange Postecoglou's top summer target, leaving their rivals in the dust…
What's the latest on James Maddison to Tottenham Hotspur?
That is at least the thoughts of journalist Jacob Steinberg, who, writing for The Guardian, issued an update on Spurs' pursuit of Leicester City star James Maddison.
Although the creative star has been embroiled in a transfer battle between the Lilywhites and Newcastle United, now the former have reportedly pulled away as the frontrunners as Eddie Howe seeks to prioritise the signing of Sandro Tonali.
The 26-year-old is still waiting for someone to rescue him from the relegated Foxes, but a bid is not expected with immediacy. For now, they seem content with revelling in their new status as the favourites to secure this top-tier playmaker.
Could James Maddison emulate Kevin De Bruyne?
Given Postecoglou is due to set up his new team in his classic 4-3-3 formation, he will be desperate to add some much-needed creativity to a midfield that has been starved of it for some time now.
Fortunately for him, Maddison would be one of the best players he could have hoped to add to his squad, with his availability a huge bonus.
His addition could even emulate that of the league's best creator, with Kevin De Bruyne the template for someone seeking to copy perfection.
The Belgian star has been Manchester City's key player for years now, most recently notching ten goals and 31 assists on his way to securing a famous treble.
However, the 31-year-old has much more in common with the England international than just their penchant for scoring and assisting, to which Maddison also recorded 19 goal contributions of his own last term in the league.
When comparing their respective league campaigns on FBref, both share eerily similar pass completion percentages (73.3% v 73.4%), shots on target per 90 (0.78 v 0.98), shot-creating actions per 90 (6.55 v 5.01) and touches in attacking penalty area per 90 (100 v 103). It is also worth noting that one starred for one of the greatest club teams in history, whilst the other was relegated.
It is therefore no surprise to see the latter lauded for his "elite" assets by Statman Dave, given he comes so close to the man Jamie Redknapp dubbed "the best midfield player in the world".
Perhaps being surrounded by a boosted level of quality could allow Maddison to creep even closer to the legendary De Bruyne, supplementing the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min to bolster his numbers.
Valued at just €37.3m (£32m) by Football Transfers, this could prove one of the coups of the summer to truly kickstart Postecoglou's reign in north London.
