Tottenham Hotspur have been credited with an interest in Lyon midfielder Maxence Caqueret as new manager Ange Postecoglou looks to craft a team capable of rising to prominence next term.
What's the latest on Maxence Caqueret to Tottenham?
That's according to Foot Mercato, who claim that Spurs join German giants Borussia Dortmund in the pursuit of the Frenchman this summer and have placed him on the 'short-list' of options.
While the report does not reveal a transfer value, CIES Football Observatory touts the 23-year-old at £26m, and with four years still left on his current deal in France, it is likely his outfit will demand a lucrative fee to secure his services.
Tottenham failed to qualify for Europe last year and now must place the onus on making astute purchases in the transfer window and returning to the fore, and Caqueret could be the midfield saviour that chairman Daniel Levy craves.
Should Tottenham sign Maxence Caqueret?
With the Lilywhites ending a campaign without European endeavours to look forward to for the first time since 2009, there is simply no margin for error this summer in targetting apt individuals capable of playing pivotal roles in a coveted ascent back to European football at the very least, but Champions League football coveted.
While the shoddy defence was illuminated after a dismal and leaky season for the London club, with the 63 goals shipped over the 22/23 league term shockingly the sixth-worst record in the division, the centre of the park will receive attention as Postecoglou attempts to instil some swagger and belief back into the fold.
And Caqueret could be the perfect midfield option to nurture into a world-class talent, having risen from Lyon's youth ranks to forge 130 appearances across all competitions, scoring five times and providing 13 assists.
The France U21 international is an all-encompassing midfield engine and catches the eye with both his dogged pursuit of retaining the ball and his attractive ball-playing ability.
Indeed, as per FBref, the £55k-per-week menace ranks among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past 12 months for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 14% for tackles per 90, illustrating a dynamic approach to his play that could weave the various facets of Tottenham's system together.
And given that he is listed as the most comparable player in Europe to former teammate Bruno Guimaraes, who departed Les Gones for Newcastle United in January 2022 for £40m, Postecoglou could hit the ground running by providing Spurs with their own version of the impressive Brazilian.
Guimaraes, comparatively, ranks among the top 19% of peers for assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes and the top 13% for successful take-ons per 90, and has been hailed as "world-class" by Magpies teammate Dan Burn.
Caqueret could well be a "crucial" signing, as he has previously been called by Peter Bosz, enriching the central ranks and emulating Guimaraes in the Premier League, and Tottenham would be wise to kickstart their rebuild by forging ahead with negotiations for the dynamic ace.