Tottenham Hotspur are set to kickstart their Premier League campaign on Monday night with an away trip to newly promoted Leicester City, and while that's no easy task, they should go into the match full of confidence.
Ange Postecoglou's side have enjoyed a relatively successful preseason on the pitch this summer with a handful of comfortable wins and a couple of closely fought losses to Bayern Munich, and off the pitch, they've done brilliantly.
Daniel Levy and Co have sold unwanted players like Joe Rodon and Emerson Royal, signed a couple of exciting youngsters in Archie Gray and Yang Min-Hyeok, and, most importantly, secured the services of Dominic Solanke for £65m.
The former Bournemouth star could be the perfect striker to help take Spurs to the next level this season, although, based on recent reports, the club could still be looking to bring in another quality nine to bolster the squad.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from the Independent's chief football writer, Miguel Delaney, Tottenham remain in the picture for Brentford striker Ivan Toney despite signing Solanke earlier this month.
Delaney claims that, alongside several other teams, including Manchester United and Chelsea, the North Londoners are still considered an outside option for the Englishman.
The main barrier for the Lilywhites, and other sides for that matter, is that the Bees are sticking to their £60m valuation of the striker, although with his contract expiring next year, that price could come down as the final day of the window approaches.
It would certainly be a surprise to see Spurs sign Toney this summer, especially at that price, but if they can wait for a couple of weeks, they may be able to secure his services at a steep discount. And what's better than having one recently signed top-quality striker in the team? Having two, of course.
Why Toney would be a great signing
While this seems like an unlikely transfer, recent reports like the one mentioned above make it clear that Spurs are still in the running to secure Toney's signature this summer, and though some may think his arrival would impact Solanke's game time, that doesn't have to be the case.
There are more matches in today's game than ever before, meaning stars are often played into the ground before a season ends, preventing them from operating at their best throughout the year.
Just look at James Maddison last season. He was on fire at the start of the campaign, racking up eight goal involvements in his first nine games, but only produced five in his final 17, and while that was partly due to injury, it was clear that he was also in desperate need of a rest.
This problem will only be more acute in N17 as well, as in Postecoglou's incredibly high-energy system, it would be surprising if his attacking talent weren't exhausted by the end of a gruelling season. So, while the former Cherries star looks set to be the club's number-one striker this year, having another top-quality centre-forward in the squad who can come off the bench or start the occasional game to keep him fresh seems like a no-brainer.
Furthermore, while Toney had a mediocre campaign last year due to the impact of his eight-month football ban, the 28-year-old "monster," as manager Thomas Frank dubbed him, has proven himself to be a fantastic forward at this level, racking up 36 goals and 11 assists in 83 appearances for the Bees.
Lastly, in certain situations, starting two clinical strikers in the same team could help give the Lilywhites an advantage over other sides.
Imagine if the team needed a late winner in an incredibly tight match, bringing the Brentford star on to play with Solanke, or vice versa, would completely change the game, and we saw in England's game against Slovakia at the Euros that the former Newcastle United ace can provide opportunities for a strike partner.
Ultimately, while some would potentially see this transfer as a frivolous waste of money, you can never have too many quality goalscorers in a squad. Moreover, if the club wants to get the absolute most out of Postecogolu's all-guns-blazing style of play, then having the opportunity to start a front two of Solanke and Toney is the perfect way to do so.