There continues to be speculation over the future of Christian Eriksen, whose Tottenham contract expires next year.
Spurs are hoping to persuade the Denmark midfielder to sign a new deal amid reports he is wanted by the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
Eriksen departing would certainly leave a void to fill. So who could fill it? Here are five players the club could consider as a potential midfield replacement.
Hector Herrera
The Porto midfielder caught the eye during last year’s World Cup, when his performances for Mexico suggested a big-money move was a certainty. However, he remains at Porto, where he has been for five years. He has quality and looks suited to the Premier League.
Adrien Rabiot
The Paris St-Germain star has been linked with a move to England during successive transfer windows. He was linked with Chelsea and more recently Tottenham, and continues to be touted for a possible move to the Premier League.
Piotr Zieliński
Poland midfielder Zieliński continues to enhance his growing reputation with his performances in Italy. Having caught the eye for Udinese and Empoli, he has been excellent for Napoli.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Loftus-Cheek has featured more often for Chelsea’s first team of later but, when it comes to the crunch, will he establish himself as a regular starter for them any time soon? With the likes of Jorginho, Ross Barkley and N’Golo Kante competing for places, it could remain tough for the England midfielder at Stamford Bridge. He’s a very different type of player to Eriksen but would be a quality signing in his own right.
James Maddison
Maddison has really looked the part since arriving at Leicester from Norwich. He definitely wouldn’t be cheap, but at just 21 and with plenty of development potential, the England Under-21 international would be long-term investment.