In what surprisingly proved to be one of the summer's most drawn out and and repetitive transfer sagas thus far, Liverpool have finally wrapped up a £25million deal for former Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana.
It's unfortunate news for Tottenham Hotspur however, with former Saints and now Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino reportedly exceptionally keen to make the 26 year-old his first major signing at White Hart Lane.
But fear not Mr. Pochettino, for we at Football Fancast have conjured up this list of five like-minded alternatives to Adam Lallana, sharing the England international's high-octane, versatile, playmaking style.
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JAMES MILNER
'Boring' James Milner of Twitter spoof fame...
...may not share Adam Lallana's dynamic style or fluency on the ball.
But in many other ways, the two England international's are remarkably similar, sharing a mixture of versatility, work-rate and quality. And who can forget this stunning strike against Bayern Munich earlier this season...
//www.youtube.com/embed/kxn59ueDN90?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist=kxn59ueDN90
Although the 28 year-old has struggled for game-time with Manchester City this season, he's shown an impressive consistency whenever issued a starting berth by Manuel Pellegrini, as seen below...
Furthermore, the former Aston Villa midfielder is widely expected to leave the Etihad this summer...
and is said to be valued at around £12million.
MATHIEU VALBUENA
Pint-sized playmaker Mathieu Valbuena...
...would be an ideal alternative to Adam Lallana at White Hart Lane, and has already announced his intentions to leave current club Marseille this summer.
The 29 year-old is a great technical talent, as shown in the video below...
//www.youtube.com/embed/yU18ZQi5KaA
and has been in superb form for France at the World Cup, claiming one goal and one assist in three appearances, including this decisive set-piece delivery to Paul Pogba...
It's believed Valbuena could be available for around £10million this summer, but recent speculation suggests Spurs will have to compete with local rivals West Ham for his signature...
ARDA TURAN
Turkish international Arda Turan has been linked with a Premier League switch for much of his career, in no small part due to a return of 45 goals and 77 assists in 194 appearances at former club Galatasaray.
And despite playing an influential role in Atletico Madrid claiming last term's La Liga title, rumours of the 27 year-old swapping Vincente Calderon for the English top flight have once again surfaced...
No doubt, the Atletico playmaker is a top technical talent, capable of playing on either wing or as a No.10, as demonstrated in the video below...
//www.youtube.com/embed/sO2iAChmnOY
...and working under Diego Simeone has added a more tenacious side to his game, especially off the ball, typified by his impressive tackling statistics:
Turan comes with a release clause of £33million, but recent speculation suggests local rivals Arsenal remain his likeliest suitors...
REMY CABELLA
Ligue 1 hotshot Remy Cabella has been more commonly linked with a move to Newcastle. But following a season which saw him earn talisman status at Montpellier, the France international would be an impressive addition for the Lilywhites too.
The 24 year-old claimed 14 goals and five assists in 37 appearances last term - here's a short clip of his highlights from the campaign...
//www.youtube.com/embed/aytchoilOb8
Furthermore, Montpellier president Louis Nicollin appears to have developed a bizarre personal disliking of the Tyneside club...
...suggesting Tottenham could leapfrog the Magpies if they table an offer closer to Nicollin's valuation of Cabella, believed to be around the £15million mark.
MAX KRUSE
Having started his career as a midfielder but recently proved himself to be a more potent entity as an out-and-out striker, German international Max Kruse is an unusual kind of forward.
But that interesting transition has left the Borussia Monchengladbach star an incredibly versatile attacker with exceptional output.
Last season he claimed twelve goals and nine assists in 34 Bundesliga appearances, including this stunner against Borussia Dortmund...
//www.youtube.com/embed/NdObnHesxFo?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist=NdObnHesxFo
Here's a look at the 26 year-old's impressive attacking statistics from the campaign...
...and a Top Ten of his best strikes to date...
//www.youtube.com/embed/60XFLQH2r6k
The Lilywhites were strongly linked to Kruse in January...
...and could revive their interest this summer. But having only joined the Gladbach ranks in summer 2013, bringing him to the Premier League will likely require a considerable fee.