Tottenham sent perfect message by new £60m Eberechi Eze transfer alternative

Tottenham are looking to sign a new attacking midfielder this summer following the severe knee injury picked up by James Maddison. The 28-year-old suffered the issue late into the pre-season draw against Newcastle and a club statement has since confirmed he will undergo surgery to fix a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

With Son Heung-min's transfer to LAFC also announced in recent days, that is two key components of Spurs' attack from last season that are unavailable.

No Dejan Kulusevski for the first part of the season because of a knee injury means that Thomas Frank is in desperate need of some creativity coming into the squad with the Dane admitting to that following a heavy defeat to Bayern Munich.

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"We are definitely in the market in general," he said during a press conference. "Of course, when players get a long-term injury we need to look into that, but generally we are in the market, yes.

"Nobody feels close or far away. I'm not saying anything before there's anything that is completely 100%." The Lilywhites have since been linked to Leicester City's Bilal El Khannouss, Liverpool star Harvey Elliott and Enzo Millot of Stuttgart, though the latter has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.

Eberechi Eze could also be an option for Spurs again, with there an expectation at Crystal Palace that an approach will arrive, as Arsenal appear to be focused on sealing exits.

That could allow for the Lilywhites to have a free run at Eze, but they will likely be met by a firm asking price especially after his release clause, which was below £70million, expired last weekend.

An alternative to the England international that has just emerged as a concrete option is AS Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche. According to French journalist Sebastien Vidal, Spurs are monitoring the Frenchman and though no official bid has arrived yet, he is firmly on the club's radar.

The 23-year-old could be perfect for Frank with his versatility to also play out wide making him a very attractive option. Akliouche contributed to 15 goals in Ligue 1 last season - and a further four in the Champions League - with Monaco going on to finish third in the table.

And his knack for goals has continued in pre-season as he scored a thunderous effort from outside the box just two minutes into Monaco's latest friendly against Inter. The French outfit went on to lose 2-1 but Akliouche impressed as he created three chances and also hit the woodwork.

Reports suggest it would likely take bids in the region of £60million for Monaco to consider selling and while that is a sizeable fee, it was exactly what Spurs made available in their failed attempt to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.