While the recent early exit from the Carabao Cup will no doubt have stung for Tottenham Hotspur, it has largely been a positive start to life under new boss Ange Postecoglou so far, with two wins and a draw from the club's opening three Premier League games.
Despite that solid opening to the new regime, it looks as if the former Celtic boss is still keen to further strengthen before the end of the window, with Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo a player of particular interest to the Lilywhites.
How much would Tosin Adarabioyo cost?
Following reports linking Spurs with a move for the 25-year-old earlier in the summer, 90min has reported in recent days that the north Londoners still hold a strong interest in the 6 foot 5 titan, with the player 'set to move on' before the close of the window.
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As per the piece, Postecoglou and co are believed to have offered Eric Dier to the Cottagers as a potential sweetener in the deal, albeit with it yet to be seen whether the 29-year-old will move on this summer, after spending the last nine years at Tottenham.
With just a year left to run on his contract, Adarabioyo is likely to be available for something of a bargain fee if he is to depart any time soon, with a €15m (£13m) fee having previously been suggested.
How good is Tosin Adarabioyo?
Previously dubbed "immense" by former boss Tony Mowbray during his time on loan at Blackburn Rovers, it is fair to say that the current Fulham man has particularly blossomed since making the move to Craven Cottage back in 2020, having begun life on the books at Manchester City.
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The towering asset was particularly impressive last term as the then newly-promoted side comfortable mid-table finish, notably averaging a solid 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game from his 25 league outings – a better return than Dier achieved for instance (two tackles and interceptions per game from 33 appearances).
While, as stated above, Dier may be keen to stay put beyond the deadline, the signing of a figure like Adarabioyo could well help to nudge him out the door even if the Englishman does not head in the other direction to Fulham, with Bayern Munich having been touted as a possible option of late.
As per journalist Ryan Taylor, the former Sporting CP man is arguably "nowhere near the required level for what Spurs are trying to achieve", hence why he has found himself out of the picture under Postecoglou thus far.
One particular benefit of bringing Adarabioyo into the fold would be his ability to play out from the back as he notably ranks in the top 18% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for progressive passes, while Dier ranks in just the bottom 40% in that regard.
With the latter man having potentially outstayed his welcome – as pundit Frank McAvennie previously suggested that "Tottenham will not succeed with Dier in the team" – the signing of a standout replacement could well be what is needed for Postecoglou to finally send him packing.