Tottenham Hotspur have not enjoyed a good start to the season, and it really is starting to feel like this club has been consigned to relegation-fodder status for eternity.

Of course, Spurs have more than enough quality running through the club to pull themselves out of this hole. We are only five games into the season, and Roberto De Zerbi has overseen a summer spending spree surpassing £300m.

Even so, this team is bereft of excitement and innovation. Something needs to change - quickly.

There is a worrying lack of creativity, and the 20th-place side need to do something about it before concern becomes calamity. Perhaps James Maddison could have the answer?

Maddison's fitness problems at Spurs

Not only are Tottenham without a win across five games, but they went their first four matches without scoring, breaking their duck during the 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa at the start of the term.

Maddison would be the perfect player to inject some fresh impetus and creativity, but the 29-year-old cannot find and maintain the fitness levels needed to produce his best stuff.

The playmaker was named the Premier League Player of Month in August 2023, right after he joined from relegated Leicester City for £40m.

However, he missed almost the entirety of the 2025/26 campaign with a knee injury sustained during pre-season, and a slight shoulder fracture in July has limited him to a bit-part role thus far this term.

There's no question that Maddison has the quality to add a much-needed dimension at Spurs, but time is running out for him, with repeated injuries threatening to dismantle his chances of returning to prominence down N17.

Why Maddison is running out of time at Spurs

Maddison has entered the penultimate year of his contract with Tottenham, and if he fails to demonstrate big improvements on the fitness (and form) front this year, there's no question that ENIC Group will consider putting him up for sale.

There can be no freeloaders in this Spurs side. The squad must be in concert as they fight to drag themselves out of this interminable rut.

Maddison has showcased elite Premier League class in the past, but it's been some time since he was fit and firing for the Londoners. Ange Postecoglou has been sacked since then. And Thomas Frank. And Igor Tudor too.

And let's not forget: Xavi Simons is currently rehabilitating from an ACL injury sustained during the later stages of last season. When the Dutchman returns, he will be in direct competition with Maddison for a position.

Moreover, it looks like the decision-makers are already sniffing around for an alternative.

Spurs are in talks to sign Maddison upgrade

Tottenham need to start ticking quickly, else they will collapse once again and face a relegation dogfight for a second successive season, having also finished 17th the term before, albeit safe from danger by a considerable margin.

However, the powers that be are still hoping to return to the ascendancy, with TEAMtalk reporting that talks have been held with Barcelona attacking midfielder Dani Olmo. In fact, all of the 'Big Six' have been in touch with relevant representatives regarding a deal for the £60m-rated star.

Hailed as a "footballing genius" by now-legendary Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, Olmo has never been the star of the show at Barcelona and his national team, but undoubtedly one of the more underrated cogs in the machine.

At Tottenham, there's a sense that that might change. So far this season in La Liga, he has only started twice, coming off the bench five times, but he has already created seven big chances, completing 57% of his dribbles and winning 62% of his duels.

Olmo, 28 years old, is effortlessly flexible from a tactical standpoint. He knows how to score goals, control games and provide the risk-taking spark that can so often win his team a game. At the World Cup, he started six times for title-winning Spain, embodying many of the same virtues for his outfit.

It should go without saying that Maddison will be in a lot of trouble if Spurs firm up their interest in Olmo, who is fitter and faster and sharper.

The Lilywhites simply haven't got going this season. Maddison could be a fantastic added dimension over the next few months, but De Zerbi has yet to show that he's ready to start matches every week.

Moreover, it's been a long time since Maddison played with gusto, and there's little guarantee that he will bounce back to his max before the January transfer window, when Olmo will be there for the taking.