Will African-descent gem be Spurs' third lucky charm?
Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 21.08.25. | 23:40
In their pursuit of an attacking midfielder, Tottenham were snubbed by both Gibbs-White and Eze, so now they are after Monaco's wonder
After winning the UEFA Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur quickly forgot the previous abysmal Premier League season, in which they ended just one spot above the relegation zone and turned to preparing for the new campaign and their return to the UEFA Champions League.
They've had a decent transfer window, as they signed some renowned names, such as Joao Palhinha (on loan from Bayern Munich), Kevin Danso, Mathys Tel, and Mohammed Kudus. However, after Son Heung-min left the club and James Maddison suffered a severe knee injury, they desperately needed reinforcement in the attacking midfielder position.
First, they eyed Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and were ready to activate his £60 million release clause. Still, the Trees accused Spurs of contacting the player without their permission, their owner, Evangelos Marinakis, vetoed the transfer, and Gibbs-White ended up extending the deal with the club from City Ground.
Then, they turned to Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and were on the brink of finalizing the deal. However, Arsenal entered the race in the last minute and reportedly hijacked the deal, as the England international is now very close to Emirates Stadium.
Nevertheless, according to The Telegraph, Tottenham are not giving up, given that they have found another target - Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche.
Maghnes Akliouche HAS to be Tottenham Hotspur’s number 1 priority for the #10 spot now they’ve missed out on Eze.
— CounterPressers (@CounterPressers) August 21, 2025
Hes exactly the profile they need, there’s actually an argument to be made that Akliouche is the better option when you factor in age, potential ability, etc. https://t.co/4MBasxE9y0
The 23-year-old Frenchman of Algerian descent was excellent last season with the Ligue 1 side, recording seven goals and 12 assists in 43 appearances. He was specifically lethal in tandem with Eliesse Ben Seghir and is believed to be ready for a new challenge.
Moreover, he's already opened his goal account this season, finding the net in his team's 3-1 win against Le Havre in the Ligue 1 opening round last Saturday.
Monaco are also willing to let Akliouche go if they get a satisfactory bid and £60 million Spurs had offered for Gibbs-White and Eze would be more than enough.
At the same time, Tottenham new boss, Thomas Frank, still hopes to convince his former club, Brentford, to let Yoane Wissa reunite with him in North London.
