Spurs confident in big contract with Madison 2.0

Tottenham Hotspur celebrated with passion and relief after avoiding relegation from the Premier League by defeating Everton in the final game of the 2025/26 season.

Roberto De Zerbi was its architect, but he is hoping to find a different kind of success next season and is targeting summer signings who can pull Spurs out of the Premier League hole they have been in for two years and back into Europe.

Remember, Tottenham won the Europa League just over 12 months ago, so they have the framework to compete with the big hitters in England and beyond.

However, this transfer window must go off without a hitch, and although ENIC Group has strengthened its backline, there is still a lot of work to be done in midfield and attacking areas.

Spurs aim to sign three midfield players

Tottenham are busy, there’s no doubt about that. The Londoners are aware of the importance of getting this summer right, and De Zerbi has made it clear to all concerned that improving the midfield is paramount.

Premier League pair Matheus Fernandes (West Ham) and Sandro Tonali (Newcastle) have therefore emerged as the Lilywhites’ top targets.

Signing both midfielders would cost a significant amount of money and there is no guarantee that they would be competitive. The Spurs would throw the kitchen sink, but the Cards have alternative options and one guy stands out.

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are in the race to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, who has emerged as one of the club’s “most realistic” top targets.

Both Fernandes and Tonali are under investigation, but the bosses of rivals Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City could open negotiations.

Spurs are said to be “confident” they can strike a deal with Palace, with Wharton the ideal replacement, who may require a “substantial” bid.

The England international, who is worth £70m, has been omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad but could feature alongside the aforementioned transfer targets, with Spurs prepared to complete three midfield reinforcements by the end of the summer.

However, João Parinha also falls into that category. Efforts are underway to permanently secure last year’s loan. Whether ENIC will become popular is another question.

Why Wharton could be Spurs’ perfect summer signing

While Tottenham may hope to make at least one of these ambitious additions a reality, Fernandes and Tonali clearly see the emphasis on reinforcements at this stage.

But Wharton may actually be the best player, and while perhaps not as physically robust, his line-breaking passing could help restore fluency to Spurs’ build-up play.

Hailed as a “passing machine” by journalist Henry Winter, Wharton is adept at eliminating opponents and retaining possession. Or you can actually unleash it on a suitable attack area.

He has added variety and nuance to Crystal Palace’s game and, given his arrival from Premier League rivals, could become a playmaker in the style of James Maddison from De Zerbi’s Lilywhites.

Wharton’s impressive range of passing made him a central creator for Crystal Palace. In that respect, he shares a thing or two with Maddison, with a similar way of creating for his team-mates, but he has a broader style that suits a deeper midfield role.

Maddison would like to regain his spot in the Spurs’ starting lineup next season, but with a player like Wharton in there, that might be a bit difficult.

The Palace superstar has been hitting the right beats in recent years, contributing to back-to-back title-winning seasons at Selhurst Park.

If he were to join Tottenham this summer, he would be looking to emulate Maddison, who risked relegation at Leicester but won the FA Cup with the King Power.

They may be different types of playmakers, but their methods are both means to an end. But Wharton might just take the cake, and he might become a superstar under De Zerbi’s direction.