The transfer window is almost upon us once more, and instead of fighting to keep hold of their greatest-ever goalscorer, Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to add to their squad this summer.
That said, while Harry Kane was the main talking point regarding the Lilywhites' business last year, Ange Postecoglou did welcome in several talented stars, such as Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, and James Maddison.
Interestingly, based on recent reports, the club could soon have a young wonderkid who shares similarities with the latter.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Guardian journalist Ed Aarons, Tottenham Hotspur are one of several clubs interested in Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham.
Alongside the Lilywhites, Brentford, Crystal Palace, and several clubs from the continent are also in a fierce race to secure the services of Jude Bellingham's younger brother.
However, the Black Cats do not want to lose the talented youngster and will reportedly only entertain offers in excess of £20m.
It would be an expensive gamble from the North Londoners, but it might be worth it with his similarities to Maddison.
How Bellingham could be Maddison 2.0
Now, it might seem like quite a jump to be comparing an 18-year-old to one of Tottenham's best midfielders, and in fairness, it is. However, there are two key similarities between the pair that could see the Sunderland ace develop along the same lines as the Lilywhites star.
The first is their experience in the Championship.
Before tearing it up in the Premier League with Leicester City and Spurs, Maddison made a name for himself among the wider public thanks to a stellar 2017/18 season in the second tier with Norwich City.
In just 44 games, the Coventry-born ace scored 14 goals and provided eight assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every other game, and while he had fruitful stints with Coventry City and Aberdeen, it was this campaign that put him on the map.
Similarly, while Bellingham played for Birmingham City's first team 22 times in the Championship last season, he's caught the media's eye this year thanks to his starring role for Sunderland.
Team
Sunderland
Norwich City
Age at the start of the season
17
21
Season
2023/24
2017/18
Appearances
45
44
Goals
7
14
Assists
1
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.17
0.5
In 45 league appearances, the 18-year-old "wonderkid", as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored seven goals and provided one assist, and while he's not been as productive as the Lilywhites ace was in his breakout campaign, he is four years younger than he was then.
The second similarity between the pair is their positional versatility.
While Postecoglou has primarily deployed him as an attacking midfielder this season, the former Foxes star has started games on either wing or either side of the midfield before.
Likewise, the Black Cats' "incredibly exciting" talent, as described by Mango, has played the majority of this season in a traditional midfield role but has also played as a centre-forward, winger, wide-midfielder and defensive midfielder in his career.
Ultimately, there is a long way to go for the Stourbridge-born gem to reach the level that Maddison has shown over the last few years, but with a solid season under his belt in the Championship, an ability to play multiple roles, and the interests of several top clubs, there is no reason to believe he couldn't get there.
Therefore, Daniel Levy and Co should look to bring the younger Bellingham to N17 this summer. They might be very pleased they did in a few years.
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