Under Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur have hardly been a team intent on sitting back and defending.
No, they've played heavy-metal, high-intensity pressing football, playing right on the edge in their pursuit of glory.
Did it work? Well, yes and no. The Australian gained plaudits for such a style but it left them too open at times.
They ultimately went on to concede 61 goals in the league, more than Manchester United's and Crystal Palace's 58, the same as 13th-placed Fulham's and worse than 15th-placed Everton's haul of 51.
So, a defensive addition or two would certainly do the trick this summer.
Spurs' main defensive target
It looks as though the Tottenham recruitment team are ready to go toe to toe with some of the Premier League's finest in a bid to secure one target.
That happens to Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, a man who was central to that aforementioned record at Goodison Park.
Indeed, reports from Sky Sports suggest that while Man United are interested in the young English talent, Manchester City and Spurs are both tracking him too.
The trouble may well be Branthwaite's price tag. The 21-year-old is thought to be valued between £60m-£70m; a pretty penny indeed.
Why Branthwaite would be a good signing
Well, the fact of the matter is that Spurs need to improve at the back, even if they do have the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in their armoury.
Romero was a fine asset throughout the 2023/24 campaign, using his bullish attitude to dominate attackers. As such, he ranked inside the top 10% of central defenders in the Premier League for tackles, the top 17% for aerials won and the top 1% for non-penalty goals, showcasing his impact at both ends of the pitch.
On the other hand, Van de Ven had more of a topsy-turvy debut campaign in north London. Heralded for his ridiculous pace, clocking up the fastest speed in the Premier League this term, he has had a few nervy moments.
Remember that game against Newcastle? Yeah, the Dutchman will want to forget it quickly with Alexander Isak having sent him to the deck at St James' Park.
So, the defensive axis at Spurs could well do with another alternative. Radu Dragusin signed in January but he is hardly the calibre of player that Branthwaite is.
He is a left-footed sensation and in the words of Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, is a "pretty special" talent.
That left-footedness would no doubt help Postecoglou's team in possession, giving the Lilywhites a more natural angle to play from down the left-hand side.
It's something a certain Jan Vertonghen gave to Tottenham during his 315 appearances for the club. Also blessed with the ability to play at left-back, Spurs' former skipper was particularly gifted in possession, just as Branthwaite is.
Games
232
Goals Scored
6
Goals Conceded
222
Clean-sheets
77
Yellow Cards
38
Red Cards
1
Both possessing a beautiful left foot, the Everton star is particularly composed on the ball. Now, Sean Dyche's style of play didn't particularly lend itself to Branthwaite thriving in this area last term but he did stand out during a loan spell at PSV in 2022/23 where he was given more creative freedom on the ball.
As such, he succeeded with 87% of his passes, ranking within the top 19% of central defenders in the Eredivisie. His long pass completion rate of 71.2% was also enough to rank him within the best 6% of centre-backs that term.
So, how does Vertonghen compare? Well, playing for Anderlecht in the Belgian top-flight, he also completed 87% of his passes and funnily enough completed 70.3% of his long passes, desperately close to Branthwaite's tally.
Pass success %
87%
92%
94%
Long pass success
71.2%
70.3%
79.8%
Key passes
0.32
0.23
0.04
Progressive passes
3.62
5.77
4.15
Although Branthwaite's passing numbers from the 2022/23 campaign don't quite trump Van de Ven's, their position isn't all just about how well you can find a teammate.
The Toffees sensation would still be a superb pick-up. After all, there was a reason Dyche's men kept the second-most clean sheets in the division (13), this term.
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