Tottenham Hotspur are interested in raiding Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer and procuring centre-back Max Kilman, according to reports.
It's the beginning of a new chapter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with manager Ange Postecoglou departing treble-winning Celtic to take the reins and lead Spurs back to brighter days after a dismal campaign that culminated in an eighth-place finish and failure to qualify for European competition next season.
Tottenham started the campaign brightly under the stewardship of the distinguished Antonio Conte but trickled further into the murky abyss as the season went on, ending another year without silverware.
The defensive efforts were shoddy and a large part behind the woes, and that's why Kilman could prove to be a shrewd acquisition to return some stability and grit to the N17 backline.
90min certainly think it could be a possibility, stating that the 26-year-old "has long had admirers" at the club and "remains a target", with The Athletic's Tim Spiers revealing this year that his signature could cost around £20m-£30m.
Should Tottenham sign Max Kilman?
Kilman, who is eligible to play internationally for both England and Ukraine, played 37 matches this season as Wolves finished 13th in the Premier League after looking like relegation favourites before Julen Lopetegui's appointment before the mid-season pause for the 2022 World Cup.
Praised as "immense" and a "monster" by Talking Wolves presenter Tom Parker, he recorded an average match rating of 6.85 this season, according to Sofascore, and caught the eye by keeping 11 clean sheets, making 4.4 clearances per game and winning 67% of his aerial duels.
His prowess is further illustrated by metrics provided by FBref, who suggest the distinguished Manchester United titan Raphael Varane is his most similar player.
Indeed, with the £15k-per-week Wolves star ranking among the top 12% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons, the top 28% for progressive carries and the top 5% for blocks per 90, his skill set does indeed draw similarities to Varane.
The £350k-per-week United phenom ranks himself among the top 25% of positional peers for progressive carries and the top 28% for successful take-ons per 90, having also averaged 3.7 clearances per match in the Premier League this term while winning 72% of his aerial duels.
Kilman could harness his skills to provide an iron-clad grip on the Spurs defence, potentially forging a solid partnership with the aggressive Cristian Romero and living up to the tag of "generational talent" – as he was dubbed by reporter Nathan Judah.
Varane is a player who has seen it all, the 30-year-old notably winning the 2018 World Cup with France and four Champions League trophies with Real Madrid, also ending Manchester United's trophy drought this year with a triumph in the Carabao Cup.
If Kilman can indeed channel his own talents, he could match his confrere in Varane and play a central role in Spurs' desired resurgence, perhaps even providing the sweeping stability at the back to end a 15-year wait for silverware at the club.