Tottenham Hotspur kickstart their Premier League campaign on Monday night with a tricky away game to newly promoted Leicester City.
Ange Postecoglou's side will be looking to go one better than they did last year and qualify for the Champions League, although to do that, they'll need to make sure they're operating at near their best for the next ten months.
With that in mind, the suspension of Yves Bissouma for his misconduct off the pitch could not have come at a worse time for the club, and following an incredibly underwhelming season last year - to be diplomatic - it could be time to move on.
Fortunately, recent reports have again linked the North Londoners to a longstanding transfer target who could be the perfect long-term upgrade on the Mali international.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth via GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are still interested in Chelsea ace Conor Gallagher.
Yes, following the Englishman's move to Atlético Madrid stalling and his subsequent return to West London, Sheth has claimed that the North Londoners will be "keeping an eye" on the situation.
The Lilywhites have been consistently linked with the Epsom-born midfielder in recent years, but their chances of securing his services looked to be over earlier this month when it appeared his transfer to Atlético was all but sewn up. However, the events of the last week or so have changed the situation.
While some fans may not be delighted with the links returning, Gallagher could be the perfect solution to their Bissouma problem, especially if Levy and Co can get a deal done close to the £34m the Spanish side supposedly agreed to pay.
How Gallagher compares to Bissouma
Okay, so before the pitchforks come out, we aren't saying this move is going to happen, as at this point, who knows where Gallagher is going to end up?
However, if the reports are accurate about Spurs' lingering interest, it's worth comparing him to one of the players he could replace in Postecoglou's squad, Bissouma, as while the Englishman has played all over midfield in West London, he's started a significant number of games in defensive midfield, 59 to be exact, and could therefore be an ideal replacement.
So, how do the pair stack up with one another? Well, as you might expect given the areas they primarily operated in last season, it's the Chelsea ace who comes out miles ahead in terms of raw output, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in 50 appearances, compared to the Malian's return of zero goals or assists in 28 games.
A better way to compare the two midfielders is to look at their underlying numbers from last season, although unfortunately for the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace, this is another comparison in which he comes out looking significantly weaker than the player who could replace him.
For example, the 24-year-old "pressing and transition monster", as dubbed by analyst EBL, comes out on top in the majority of relevant metrics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes received, shots and shots on target, key passes, passes into the penalty area and shot and goal-creating actions all per 90.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
Interestingly, he even comes out on top in a few defensive metrics, like shots and passes blocked, ball recoveries and aerial duels won per 90, highlighting that he can excel in both areas of the pitch.
Ultimately, this is a move that was entirely off the table just a week ago, so whether the Lilywhites can get their hands on Gallagher this summer is anyone's guess, but given Bissouma's disappointing displays last season and his antics off the pitch this year, bringing in the Chelsea man to replace him doesn't seem like the worst idea.