Tottenham Hotspur look set to make James Maddison their new captain heading into the upcoming campaign, with the England midfielder tipped to take over the armband from Cristian Romero.
The North London club are reportedly bracing for Romero’s departure, with his long-term future at Spurs increasingly in doubt as transfer interest builds.
Sources indicate Roberto De Zerbi has settled on Maddison as the man to lead the side going forward, replacing the Argentine centre-back, and a formal confirmation could come within weeks.
Romero remains a target for several European heavyweights, with Chelsea keeping tabs on him and both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid also credited with interest in securing his signature this summer.
Spurs got their pre-season underway with a narrow 1-0 win over League One outfit MK Dons in a closed-doors clash at Hotspur Way.
Maddison sat out the match, though fans are hoping his absence was simply a precaution and that he’ll feature in the next warm-up game.
The playmaker managed only three outings last term after a lengthy spell out with an ACL injury picked up during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle back in August 2025.
Even with the injury layoff, Maddison has continued to hold a senior leadership role at the club, having served as vice-captain ever since arriving from Leicester City in August 2023.
Romero was handed the captaincy by then-manager Thomas Frank ahead of the 2025-26 season following Son Heung-min’s exit. Now, with his own Spurs future looking shaky, the armband appears poised to pass to Maddison.
