Tottenham Hotspur waltzed into dreamland following the summer break as manager Ange Postecoglou instilled confidence and cohesion to propel the formerly struggling squad back into the limelight.
Last season in the Premier League, Spurs languished to an eighth-placed finish after a dismal return from the winter World Cup break, resulting in the dismissal of Antonio Conte in March and the sale of Harry Kane in August, which threatened the beginning of Postecoglou's reign.
Eight victories and a spot at the top of the table after ten matches proved that the winds were blowing in the right direction, but the events preceding the November international break have dampened the revived optimism.
Indeed, losses to Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers were compounded by injuries and suspensions, with such woes illuminating just how frail this Tottenham team is.
Defeat in the Carabao Cup second round against Fulham earlier in the term issued a warning that rotation would not prove fruitful for the Australian manager, and while his hand was forced at Molineux, it's clear that January will need to bring in some fresh faces to ensure that the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool can be challenged at the forefront of the division.
Tottenham transfer news – Bryan Cristante
According to Italian publication Il Messaggero – via TMW – Tottenham are 'ready to invest' €30m (£26m) to complete the signing of Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante.
Roma, managed by Jose Mourinho, view Cristante as one of the most important members of the squad but the report explains that were Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy to put such an offer forth, the Serie A side would have a tough task in turning it down.
Postecoglou's preferred duo in the engine room – Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr – are both expected to be absent after the new year due to the African Cup of Nations, and Cristante would be the perfect player to integrate into the fold.
Tottenham's former interest in Bryan Cristante
While the Italy international has really come into his own over the past few years, those of a Tottenham persuasion have valued his skill set for a considerable amount of time.
Yes, when Spurs had resigned themselves to the inevitable departure of Moussa Dembele in April 2018, it was clear that a first-rate replacement was going to be needed.
The experienced Belgian genius was the ultimate orchestrator in the middle for Mauricio Pochettino's side way back when, but the riches of China called and he made the move, with Cristante lined up as the dream replacement according to reports.
Bryan Cristante's style of play
Cristante didn't wind up in London back when the club was formerly interested in his services, but there is undoubtedly cause to return, having been praised for his "unbelievable" exploits with Roma by journalist Josh Bunting.
The £87k-per-week Italian has completed 244 appearances for his outfit, scoring 13 goals and supplying 16 assists, and might be enticed by the allure of the Premier League at this stage of his career.
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Player
Club
1
Rodrigo Bentancur
Tottenham Hotspur
2
Guido Rodriguez
Real Betis
3
Boubacar Kamara
Aston Villa
4
Tomas Soucek
West Ham United
5
Cheick Doucoure
Crystal Palace
*Sourced via Football Transfers
Assiduous in his work and tenacious in recovering possession, the 28-year-old has been fielded across a melange of roles over the years but has now found a permanent home in the centre of the park.
While this would be his principal role down the N17, his ability to star in central defence would be an exciting prospect for Postecoglou, who enjoys such dynamism.
As per FBref, Cristante ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for aerial wins, the top 15% for clearances and the top 20% for tackles per 90 – so he's quite clearly an active defensive presence at the base of the Roma centre.
He's the holding midfielder that Tottenham need, especially considering Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's future at the club looks uncertain, with the industrious ace possibly moving on in less than two months.
How Bryan Cristante compares to Pierre Hojbjerg
On £100k-per-week, Hojbjerg is a distinguished Premier League player and ranks among the top 15% of positional peers for pass completion and the top 8% for clearances per 90.
The Dane has featured in every league fixture since sitting out the opener against Brentford as an unused substitute, though he has only been handed two appearances from the outset and is believed to be on Juventus' radar ahead of the winter transfer market.
Perhaps a little too conservative in possession for Postecoglou's liking, the 28-year-old has showcased his ball-playing composure with a 90% pass success rate in the English top-flight, as per Sofascore, though the fact that he has made just 0.1 key passes per game is concerning.
He's also made just 2.5 ball recoveries and 0.5 tackles and interceptions per outing, which is not the kind of energy that this blooming Spurs side needs to fit Postecoglou's vision and indeed replace the aforementioned Dembele.
Cristante, in comparison, has created one key pass per Serie A game and completed 83% of his passes, impressing with an average of 1.8 tackles and clearances and 6.5 recoveries. That is much more like Dembele.
Throw in the fact that he has posted two goals and assists apiece from just 12 league encounters so far, and Tottenham's interest in the 38-cap star becomes all the more understandable.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Passing
Through balls
Concentration
Interceptions
*Sourced via WhoScored
While Hojbjerg isn't tagged with any specific weaknesses, he's clearly not favoured for a starting role under Postecoglou's guidance and has actually only started in the Premier League this season when there was no other choice.
Such inability to provide creativity is one such issue; with James Maddison sidelined until the new year, he's hardly going to evoke confidence in the centre of the park.
Cristante is a player who has been profiled in the past and is currently playing some stellar football, and it would be well worth the venture to swoop and seal his signature in January.