With just over three weeks until the Premier League returns, clubs across the continent are busy with pre-season and planning their next course of action in the transfer market, and Tottenham Hotspur are no different.
It's been a promising summer for Ange Postecoglou's side thus far. The signing of Archie Gray is a clear sign that his project is a long-term one, and the wins over Hearts and Queens Park Rangers are encouraging indicators of the squad's current fitness.
However, with the market staying open for another five weeks, there is still plenty of work to be done, and it looks like the club are going to make the most of that time.
Recent reports have linked them with an exciting young player who could be Destiny Udogie's ideal rival and has shades of Gareth Bale about him.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Italian publication Calcio Lecce, Tottenham are one of several sides interested in signing Danish left-back Patrick Dorgu.
Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that Arsenal and Napoli have been in contact with Lecce to discover the youngster's price tag, while Chelsea could soon do the same.
This level of competition is obviously far from ideal for Spurs, but the good news is that if they get ahead of the chasing pack, they'll only have to pay around €30m, which is about £25m, to secure the 19-year-old's services.
This may still sound excessive for a player so young, but given his performances last season, the way he is spoken about by those in the know and the similarities to Bale, it could be a bargain.
How Dorgu compares to Bale and Udogie
Now, before looking at how Dorgu stacks up against Udogie, let's first look at how he could be compared to a younger Bale.
The primary reason is that, like the Welshman in his younger days, the Dane is an incredibly progressive left-back who could easily be transformed into a winger in the right system, akin to the former Spurs ace.
For example, U23 scout Antonio Mango described him as possessing a great deal of "pace and power," giving him "almost equal presence at both ends of the pitch." This is incredibly beneficial for the team as "his reading of offensive situations is mighty impressive."
Moreover, according to Mango, he is also "adept at taking defenders on" thanks to his impressive "close control" and "absurd acceleration."
This all sounds an awful lot like the kind of player Bale was during his pomp, the sort of player who'd spot the space, drive into it at breakneck speeds, and then either rifle the ball into the back of the net or lay off a teammate.
So, with the similarities with the iconic full-back turned winger, how would the 19-year-old "diamond", as dubbed by Mango, fare as a rival for the Lilywhites' current first-choice left-back?
Well, when it comes to comparing the relevant underlying numbers, the results are surprisingly even, with the "explosive" Dane, as Mango described him, coming out ahead in nine metrics and his potential teammate doing so in eight.
Interestingly, the Lecce gem emerges victorious in more attacking metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals, shot-creating actions, shots and shots on target, and key passes, all per 90.
In contrast, the former Udinese star looks better in more defensive areas, such as tackles won, ball recoveries, blocks, and interceptions per 90.
Ultimately, while it is still too early to say whether Dorgu could surpass Udogie as Spurs' starting left-back, it is clear to see that he would offer a real challenge for a place in the starting lineup and that, alongside his comparisons to Bale, make signing him a no-brainer.