With the recent transfer window having come and gone, Tottenham Hotspur can reflect on what was a rather mixed summer of business, in truth, with the Lilywhites suffering the blow of losing club record goalscorer, Harry Kane, albeit while making a raft of astute dealings.
The £40m addition of James Maddison – who already has four goals and assists from just four Premier League outings this season – already looks to be something of a bargain, while towering Dutchman Micky van de Ven has also been "really impressive" thus far, as per talkSPORT's Danny Murphy, as a sign of the smart acquisitions that have been made.
That's not to suggest that new boss Ange Postecoglou was able to totally revamp his first-team squad, however, with the former Celtic tactician having notably been unable to wrap up a deal for Chelsea's midfield machine, Conor Gallagher.
Why didn't Tottenham sign Conor Gallagher?
Reports had indicated last month that the England international was among the list of targets that Spurs were considering to potentially replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the centre of the park, with the latter man having been heavily linked with a move to La Liga giants, Atletico Madrid.
Speculation was particularly rampant amid a frantic end to deadline day – with claims made that the north Londoners were readying a move for the 23-year-old – although transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that no bid was ever sent by Daniel Levy and co, as the club proved unable to shift Hojbjerg.
That has left Postecoglou's midfield options looking rather limited, in truth, with a hefty reliance likely to be placed on the current starting trio of Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Maddison over the coming months – particularly with Rodrigo Bentancur still sidelined.
Missing out on a player like Gallagher could then appear to be a significant setback for those at N17, although the club may well already have their own version of the former Crystal Palace loanee in the form of 20-year-old sensation, Nile John.
Who is Nile John?
It had appeared that the promising Englishman was set to be among a raft of youth assets who were heading for the exit door at the end of last season amid his expiring contract, although the playmaker ultimately committed his future to the club back in July, after signing a new extension until the summer of 2025.
A player with just two senior appearances to his name to date – having made his debut in the Europa League against Wolfsberger back in February 2021 – the £1.9k-per-week maestro has yet to truly show his worth at first-team level, despite sparkling in the youth ranks.
The versatile gem – who can feature in central midfield, attacking midfield or on the flanks – notably boasts a promising record of 11 goals and four assists in 56 games for Tottenham's U21 side, showcasing that he can mirror the attacking threat that Gallagher memorably illustrated at Palace, after netting eight goals and providing three assists in the league during the 2021/22 season.
In his three EFL Trophy appearances last term, John also demonstrated that he can help to chip in defensively when required after averaging a solid 1.7 tackles per game while winning back possession once per game on average, with that not too far away from what his Blues counterpart has achieved so far this term, after averaging three tackles per game and winning possession 1.3 times per game in the Premier League.
While far less experienced than his compatriot, John is also said to be a player who can show "real quality", as hailed by journalist Alasdair Gold, ensuring that the youngster could well help to supplement the likes of Sarr and Bentancur, both this season and beyond.
With £40m having been mooted as a possible asking price for Gallagher, Postecoglou could well have saved the club millions if he is to unleash the academy starlet instead in the near future.