Aside from acquiring a new manager this summer, one other notable concern for Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy will be the appointment of a new sporting director, following the resignation of Fabio Paratici last month.

The Italian - who only arrived in north London back in the summer of 2021 - took the decision to step down from his role at N17 amid the prospect of a 30-month ban from the game due to 'alleged false accounting', as per The Guardian, relating to his time at former club Juventus.

That blow has ensured that the Lilyweights have now set their sights on securing a successor to the 50-year-old in the near future, with Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg having only recently stated that Spurs are "interested" in ex-Bayer Leverkusen man, Tim Steidten.

While the respected insider revealed that two other Premier League clubs are in more "advanced" talks regarding a move for the 44-year-old, Levy and co will still have hope of snapping up a figure who did fine work during his time at the BayArena.

As Plettenberg noted, the German was seemingly responsible for the Bundesliga outfit acquiring the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Edmond Tapsoba and - more notably - Piero Hincapie, with the latter man having been a target for Tottenham in recent times.

Claims back in January suggested that Spurs had acquired about the defender's availability, while Football Insider revealed following the winter window that the Ecuadorian gem is valued at around £50m, amid that interest from the Lilywhites and from Newcastle United.

Who is Piero Hincapie?

If the capture of Steidten could lead to Hincapie's move to England it would certainly represent a coup for those at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the 21-year-old having enjoyed a fine season in Germany.

Hailed as a "future legend" of his country and a player who has the "aura of a top defender" - according to talent scout Jacek Kulig - the 6 foot sensation has showcased his defensive prowess under Xabi Alonso this term, averaging a solid 1.7 tackles and one interception per game from his 30 league outings.

The "dominant" machine - as lauded by Kulig - also ranks among the top 10% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for tackles made, with that a further indication of his ball-winning talents.

Such an exciting asset could well help to bolster a Spurs defence that has floundered so far this season, with the north Londoners having shipped 62 goals in the league - the sixth-worst record in the division.

A further benefit of bringing the £20k-per-week defender into the fold would be his quality in possession, with Hincapie ranking in the top 2% in Europe among those in his position for progressive carries, as well as in the top 3% for progressive passes received.

Clearly adept at playing out from the back as well as carrying out his defensive duties, the emerging ace has evidently proven a success in his current come, having arrived in Leverkusen from Argentine outfit, Talleres, back in 2021.

With Steidten having overseen that swoop, the hope will be that the transfer chief can repeat the trick if he is to be named as Paratici's successor.