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Manchester United and Spurs are bracing themselves for a big summer of change
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Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are two English football heavyweights enduring seasons to forget in the Premier League, after a calamitous fall from grace this term that very few fans could see coming.
United’s latest slump started with the eyebrow-raising decision to keep Erik ten Hag at the club after his FA Cup final victory, despite an eighth place finish and weeks of the club allegedly courting potential successors.
Ten Hag had won trophies during his time at United, but most from the outside could see his tenure was going in only one direction. The inevitable exit happened in November, yet with new gaffer Ruben Amorim, results have plummeted further and only a spirited run in Europe has given United fans any glimmer of hope to cling on to.
Tottenham’s decline was trickier to predict, although the warning signs had been there as a team that sat top at the end of October plummeted to fifth and won just two of their last seven matches.
Their season mirrors United’s in the sense that injuries have been prevalent throughout the campaign, and the only real high points have come on the continent with Europa League success - this is seemingly the only factor that can keep Ange Postecoglou in a job next season, as the manager’s struggling side continue to make the same errors game after game.
Clearly, both clubs need a fairly drastic upheaval in the upcoming transfer window, if they are to try and fix the mess they have gotten themselves into - but could they use each other’s disorder to find a mutual solution?
James Maddison could leave Spurs this summer
Based on statistics alone, you’d be forgiven for thinking that James Maddison has had an excellent season for Tottenham. The England international currently sits on nine goals and six assists in the league for the 2025/26 campaign, while he also has two goals and three assists in Europe over his ten appearances.
Maddison has certainly had moments to remember this season, such as netting a brace against Manchester City, a winner against Man United and assists in both legs of the Europa League triumph over Frankfurt. But his overall game has lacked consistency and since January, Maddison has gradually found himself in and out of the Spurs team under Postecoglou, with reports intensifying over a rift between the pair.
Gary Lineker has even gone as far to question whether the two have fallen out on Rest Is Football, while Graeme Bailey of TBR Football believes Maddison’s future and Postecoglou’s could be interlinked with the ex-Leciester star likely leaving if his manager stays.
Bailey explained : “James Maddison’s future is far from certain to be at Tottenham. But we could very well see a summer of upheaval at Spurs. If Ange Postecoglou leaves, the Maddison conversation will have to be had – I believe there is more chance of him staying, should the manager leave. Maddison has England aspirations and he has that in his mind. And I can tell you I know of a couple of Premier League clubs who would want him, but as said, it will depend on who is in charge – he could yet have a long-term future at Spurs.”
Maddison plays in the central attacking midfield position which is an area of the pitch where Ruben Amorim needs multiple options, with Bruno Fernandes currently being the only standout option in that area.
Joshua Zirkzee and the soon to be leaving Christian Eriksen have been tried in that area with little success while Mathues Cunha has emerged as a strong target from Wolves, but does have the versatility to also play as a winger or centre forward - the latter position being an area United desperately need to crack this summer.
Could a Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur swap deal work some magic?
As it stands, Marcus Rashford is enjoying a solid loan spell at Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s men have the option to make the deal a permanent for £40m, but are thought to be assessing whether they can pay Rashford’s lucrative wage demands which are believed to be in excess of £300,000.
Should Villa not sign Rashford, there is a suggestion from Football Transfersthat Spurs could target the 60-time England international as they look to land a long-term replacement for Heung-min Son.
This could in turn lead to a scenario where Rashford, who is unlikely to play again for United could move to Tottenham for a small fee which would see Maddison move to the Red Devils as a makeweight.
The move could potentially suit both parties with Maddison and Rashford both having strained relationship with their current bosses and potentially needing a fresh start to reinvigorate their careers with the World Cup next summer on the horizon.