Where Will James Maddison Fit Into the Spurs Team

30/06/23 918

After a lot of speculation, James Maddison has joined Tottenham Hotspur and is back in the Premier League after being relegated with Leicester City.

We look at where he will fit into Tottenham’s team.

Where has Maddison Previously Played?

Maddison has spent the majority of his career sitting behind the striker in the attacking midfield role. He first spent his days doing so at Norwich City where he scored 14 goals and assisted eight times in the Championship from attacking midfield.

A move to Leicester would come, as the Englishman began to build a partnership behind players like Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Ihaeancho in the Leicester forward line.

The addition to the squad of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had occasionally moved Maddison to the wing, but with Harvery Barnes the main man on the Foxes' left-hand side, Maddison has spent practically his entire career playing behind the striker.

The same has applied for when he has stepped out for England, as Maddison has been in the attacking midfield role behind his new teammate, Harry Kane. Watching back on the recent European Qualifiers involving England will give a good insight into how Spurs could line up with Maddison next season.

What Does This Mean for Tottenham’s Starting XI?

It's been a few seasons since Spurs have been able to call on an out-and-out attacking midfielder, as the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen departed the club years ago. Dejan Kulusevski, although often featuring on the wing, has been the closest Spurs have had to someone of Maddison's style in recent seasons.

It's likely we will see Spurs line up with Kane in the central striker role, as Son Heung-min and Kulusevski feature in a 4-3-3 lineup. In midfield, we will likely see Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg and someone like Oliver Skipp, as Maddison gets deployed a bit further forward and with more of a 'free' role.

What do the Stats Say for Maddison?

Last campaign, the England international put together 10 goals from 30 games, which is an incredible feat for a player with a relegated team who is also not a striker. Maddison also put together nine assists.

In total, Maddison has scored 45 goals and registered 41 assists from 182 games in attacking midfield and 13 goals and two assists from 33 games in central midfield.

He has also scored goals and put together plenty of assists from the wings, but with Richarlison and Son to call upon as well, it's doubtful we will see Maddison start in these roles.