The Tottenham Hotspur squad between the years of 2007 and 2009 was filled to the brim with Premier League cult heroes and iconic players of the competition. It was a period for Spurs in which they won the League Cup in 2008, their most recent trophy.
One of the players in that Spurs squad who was just breaking through was Premier League legend Gareth Bale. Although he suffered a bad injury midway through the 2007/08 season, Bale’s quality was on show as he scored three goals and an assist from left-back. The following season, he began to play on the wing, a move which would transform his career.
In that same squad, Spurs had the likes of Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov as centre-forward options, a trio of iconic Premier League players, The League Cup final of 2008 was a game in which Berbatov scored for Spurs from the penalty spot to help them on their way to a famous victory over Chelsea.
Legendary midfielder Luka Modric was also in the Spurs squad around that time, although he signed in the summer of 2008 and missed the triumph of the League Cup. The Croatian played 160 times for the Lilywhites and had a superb impact on their squad before a move to Real Madrid in 2012.
Looking at the present day and ahead to the future, Spurs have been linked with another midfielder in recent days who could join the club and have a similar impact to that of Modric on their midfield.
Spurs target Serie A midfielder
The player in question here is Juventus and Italy midfielder Manuel Locatelli. The 26-year-old had an important part to play for the Old Lady last season, but could well depart the club this summer.
According to a report from Football Insider, the Lilywhites are believed to be 'plotting a move' for the midfielder this summer. Locatelli is 'seen as a potential replacement' for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg by the hierarchy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Dane left Spurs this summer to join Marseille on a loan deal with an obligation to buy for a reported £17m in a year's time.
In terms of a price for Locatelli this summer, the Turin side would be willing to do business for the Italian at a fee of around £20m. However, he is under contract for another four years, meaning the Italian giants would hold a lot of power in any negotiations.
How Locatelli could replicate Modric
Last season, he played 40 times in all competitions, which included 36 appearances in Serie A. He scored once in the league and grabbed four assists, as well as two more in the Coppa Italia as Juve went on to lift the trophy, which was Massimiliano Allegri’s final one as manager of the Italian giants.
Locatelli, who has 28 caps for Gli Azzurri so far, is a midfield “maestro”, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig describes him. He sits in midfield and pulls the strings, dictating the tempo his side plays at. Much like Modric has done over the years for Spurs and then Real Madrid, Locatelli is a controller in the middle of the park.
Modric has received such high praise over his career, for all of his brilliance on the ball to control the game and create chances. Brazil legend and former Los Blancos midfielder Kaka praised the Croatian for the fact he makes football look "easy to play", before explaining how the beautiful game is "like a dance for him".
A midfielder who can control the game from deeper areas is perhaps not a profile Spurs have in their squad when considering their current midfielders' on-the-ball traits. The likes of James Maddison possess creativity in the final third while Pape Matar Sarr is more of a carry-first midfielder, but a dictator of play from a deeper role is something they don’t have.
Locatelli could also be a good replacement for Yves Bissouma, who has had a tough start to the season at Spurs, after his internal suspension for an off-field incident. Should Spurs sign Locatelli, he could be a good option to replace the former Brighton man in the starting XI, who is also a carry-first midfielder like Sarr. Again, it would add excellent versatility to the Spurs squad.
Locatelli could become that player for Ange Postecoglou and help add a new profile to the exciting project in north London. In many ways, he can replicate the impact Modric himself had at the club.
This is also reflected in his stats on analysis site FBref, which show the Italian’s quality when on the ball. Last season in Serie A, he averaged 6.94 progressive passes and 6.85 passes into the final third per 90 minutes. That ranked him in the top 4% and 3% of Serie A midfielders respectively.
It is also worth noting that the 26-year-old completes more switches each game than most in his position - 1.02 per 90 to be exact. That ranks him in the top 3% of midfielders in Italy’s top flight and shows just how much he keeps things ticking over in midfield by constantly looking to find teammates in space.
For all of the on-ball qualities the former Sassuolo midfielder would bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he is also more than competent out of possession. Last season, the Italian averaged 2.81 tackles and interceptions and 5.12 ball recoveries per 90 minutes.
Football analyst Ben Mattinson described Locatelli as an "artist in midfield", and it is hard to disagree with him given the stats. There are definitely similarities to Modric, who is one of the best midfield controllers of all time, and he could replicate what he did in a Spurs shirt.
For just £20m, this seems like a deal Spurs should not miss out on, and would be a brilliant acquisition to add quality and a unique profile to their squad to help reach the next level under Postecoglou.