Tottenham Hotspur were left reeling after being thumped by north London neighbours Arsenal last weekend. It was a sobering afternoon for Thomas Frank, who did take solace days later in his side's spirited 5-3 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain.
Much of the frustration around Spurs' start to the season has centred around attacking struggles. To be sure, Ange Postecoglou's unshackled offensive system is no longer discernible down N17, though Frank has undeniably instilled a more stable base.
However, while there is work to be made on the creative front - and remember, injured playmakers James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have not kicked a ball this season - nine goals shipped in the last week underlines the wider problems.
It's for this reason that the new hierarchy is considering a winter move for a centre-back.
Spurs' search for a defender
In Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, Tottenham have one of the most robust defensive partnerships in the Premier League. However, the balance isn't there at the back.
The Lilywhites have been sold short in key areas. You could make a top starting 11 in a fully-fit Spurs stadium, but the wider squad leave plenty to be desired, Kevin Danso and Ben Davies applicable in regard to central defence.
That's why Spanish sources have confirmed that Tottenham are planning a winter move for Juventus centre-half Gleison Bremer, who could be available for a cut-price €40m (£35m)
The report suggests that Spurs 'would be willing to negotiate' and offer an 'attractive financial package' in order to tempt the Old Lady into a sale.
What Bremer would bring to Spurs
Two months ago, Bremer suffered a meniscus injury to his left knee. This week, he returned to full team training. Considered one of the best defenders in Europe for his defensive security and "world-class" performances, as said by CBS commentator Matteo Bonetti, against elite forwards.
In truth, he hasn't played much football over the past year, but Bremer is returning to full fitness now and started the Serie A season off strongly, Sofascore recording that he won 63% of his ground duels across the first four fixtures of the term, averaging 5.5 clearances and 4.5 recoveries per game. He set up two goals, underscoring the ball-playing quality that Frank needs to help establish build-up patterns down N17.
Van de Ven, of course, would provide Bremer with stiff competition in front of Guglielmo Vicario's goal, but there's a case to be made that the Brazilian is a stronger defender than his Dutch counterpart, who has only won 52% of his duels in the Premier League this season, ranking among the bottom 36% of positional peers for tackles won per 90 (0.36).
The 24-year-old is an athletic phenomenon, and no mistake.
But he's hardly flawless. Van de Ven has made two direct mistakes in the Premier League this year (Bremer has yet to blunder), and he needs to continue to develop his positioning and tactical alliance with those around him.
Maybe Van de Ven feels overburdened by the weight of responsibility at times. He has a lot of ground to cover, after all, especially with Romero in and out of the team due to injuries.
Hailed as a "monster" by analyst Ben Mattinson for his physicality and power, Bremer might just be the solution for a Tottenham side desperate to make headway after an up-and-down start.
This ferocious defender would offer a different flavour, and maybe that's what Frank's rearguard need to stabilise and create a more fluent overarching system.