As debut campaigns go, Ange Postecoglou did a reasonably good job in charge of Tottenham Hotspur last season.
Granted, the North Londoners slipped out of the Champions League places towards the end of the year, but with a swathe of injuries, securing a place in the Europa League is nothing to scoff at.
That said, Daniel Levy and Co must back the Australian in the market this summer if they want to see him lead the team back up the Premier League table.
Based on recent reports, that might be happening, as the latest player touted for a move to N17 is a serious talent and looks to be the perfect Pierre-Emile Højbjerg replacement.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Italian publication Corriere Torino (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are one of several sides showing 'strong' interest in AS Monaco's star midfielder Youssouf Fofana.
Alongside the Lilywhites, the report claims that West Ham United, AC Milan and Juventus are the other sides most keen on the Frenchman.
While this competition is far from ideal, the good news is that it might not be too pricey a transfer to complete. The report claims that a fee of between €20m and €30m, which is £17m to £25m, should be enough to secure the 25-year-old's signature due to his contract expiring next year.
It might be a tough deal to negotiate with the number of other sides interested, but with the price being so reasonable, it's not one Spurs can afford to miss out on.
How Fofana compares to Højbjerg
So, with Højbjerg and Fofana both preferring to operate in defensive and central midfield areas, the two will be in direct competition for places in the team.
Alternatively, if the Dane does leave the club, the Frenchman would be his clear replacement, but how do the pair stack up against one another?
Despite starting 20 of his 35 games as a six last season, the Monaco "brick wall," as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him, scored four goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 4.37 games. In contrast, the former Southampton star couldn't produce a goal or assist in 39 first-team appearances.
However, output isn't always the most usual way of comparing players that play near the base of midfield, so how do their underlying numbers compare? Is it still an easy victory for the Ligue 1 star?
Well, while the Lilywhites ace does come out ahead in specific metrics such as progressive passes, passing accuracy, tackles, blocks, clearances and ball recoveries per 90, that is about it.
In contrast, the "technically brilliant" Monaco man, as Mattinson dubbed him, comes out ahead in most metrics, including non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals and assists, shots and shots on target, progressive carries, progressive passes received, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, aerial duels won, and errors leading to a shot, all per 90.
Ultimately, while Højbjerg certainly has his strengths, his overall game is considerably less effective than Fofana.
Therefore, whether the Dane stays for another year or leaves in the coming weeks, Levy and Co should do all they can to bring the Monaco star to N17 this summer.