It's been a reasonably successful summer for Tottenham Hotspur thus far, with wins in every pre-season game and an exciting signing already bedded into the team in Archie Gray.
Daniel Levy and Co have also secured the services of 18-year-old Yang Min-Hyeok, who will join the club in the new year.
However, it's not just about the incomings, as it appears that Emerson Royal's move to AC Milan is now approaching completion.
More good news: the Lilywhites may be able to sign his ideal upgrade for less than initially thought.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
A recent report from the Italian publication Corriere dello Sport via Sport Witness claims that Tottenham have maintained their interest in Fiorentina full-back Michael Kayode and see him as a replacement for Royal.
According to the story, Aston Villa saw an offer of around €15m - £13m - rejected last month as La Viola are after €20m for the young star, which is €10m less than was reported prior and works out to about £17m.
While the fee is still sizeable, it's one entirely within the North Londoners' ability to pay, and therefore, Levy and Co should act fast before another side capitalises.
How Kayode compares to Royal
So, if Spurs are looking at Kayode as the replacement for the departing Royal, how does he compare to the Brazilian? Would he be the ideal upgrade, or would he be more of the same?
Let's start by looking at their output. While they're still defenders - just about, anyway - the modern full-back can be just as crucial in attacking phases, and the good news is that the young Italian does come out on top here.
In 37 appearances last season, he scored one goal and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 7.4 games, and while that's not mind-blowing, it's encouraging considering he's only just turned 20.
In contrast, the Lilywhites ace scored just one goal and failed to provide any assists in his 24 appearances last season, equating to, well, one goal involvement on average every 24 games, if you can even really call that an average.
What about their underlying numbers, then? Is it just as emphatic a victory for the "exciting" Fiorentina star, as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, when we look under the hood?
Yes, yes, it is. Aside from a few metrics like ball recoveries, progressive passes, tackles won, and interceptions, the Borgomanero-born gem comes out ahead in the majority of relevant statistics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, passes and crosses into the penalty area, key passes, shot-creating actions, successful take-ons, and he even makes fewer errors leading to a shot, all per 90.
Now, his weakness in a few defensive metrics isn't ideal, but given his age and the fact that he "fears nothing", per manager Vincenzo Italiano, there's no reason to think he wouldn't improve those aspects of his game under the tutelage of Ange Postecoglou.
Ultimately, with Royal clearly on his way out and the price for Kayode coming down, signing him this summer feels like a no-brainer for Spurs and a brilliant way to further strengthen the full-back area.