Tottenham Hotspur could finally be about to replace Christian Eriksen if emerging reports are to be believed...

What's the word?

According to le10sport journalist Alexis Bernard, Spurs have a real interest in Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar but are yet to lodge a firm offer for his signature this window.

They face stiff competition from some of their Premier League rivals, including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, who are managed by former Lilywhites head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

It's believed that Lyon want in the region of €20m (£18m) to €25m (£22m) for the 23-year-old.

Eriksen's true heir?

One of Tottenham's biggest problems throughout the 2020/21 season was their defence, but it wasn't the only lingering issue.

There was an over-reliance on talisman Harry Kane as he contributed towards 54.4% of all their goals scored in the Premier League, whilst 40 of the 68 goals scored came from Kane and Heung-min Son combined.

Interestingly, the lethal duo sit atop the creativity standings too, managing 1.4 key passes per game or more between them, via WhoScored. This suggests that they were creating chances for themselves.

Both Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have failed to fill the void left behind by Christian Eriksen in January 2020. Across 305 appearances for the north Londoners, the Danish playmaker contributed to 159 goals; a rate of one goal or assist every 151 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

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Since arriving in a club-record £55m deal from Aouar's current club in 2019, Ndombele has only managed to provide eight goals and eight assists, managing a direct contribution every 267 minutes. It's a lot worse for Lo Celso, who joined in the very same window but is averaging a goal or assist every 333 minutes.

Meanwhile, the £26m-rated dynamo has been excelling in France, and his consistent displays across Ligue 1 and Europe could suggest that he's the ideal target to finally replace Eriksen at Spurs.

Since the start of the 2018/19 season, Aouar has delivered 24 goals and 25 assists, taking his overall record for Lyon to 63 goal contributions in 170 appearances - he averages a goal or assist every 191 minutes, which is much closer to the level at which the Dane was operating.

The France international has been lauded an "exceptional talent" and a "revelation" as a result of these displays, whilst Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once described him as "incredible."

"He's always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality," the Spaniard claimed, via Sky Sports.

On the above evidence, Aouar could be an absolute steal for around £18m, so Spurs supremo Fabio Paratici must look to secure a move for him this summer.

Nuno Espirito Santo could duly have the genuinely creative midfield presence the club has been lacking for over a year now.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops exciting Spurs transfer update...