Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has asked Spurs to sign a "little superstar", and he is believed to be equally receptive to the transfer.
Tottenham dealt pre-Sunderland headaches as De Zerbi thinks long-term
De Zerbi's tenure as Tottenham head coach begins in earnest this Sunday when Spurs make the trip to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland.
It is a game that could hardly carry more weight — Spurs sit just a point above the relegation zone ahead of the visit to Wearside, and could find themselves in the bottom three before they even kick off should West Ham pick up a result against Wolves in Friday's evening fixture.
De Zerbi has had just over a week on the training ground to make his mark.
Seven Premier League games remain, and no league win has been recorded by the Lilywhites since December.
The Italian inherited a squad ravaged by injuries and low on confidence, and Sunday represents the first real opportunity to establish whether his appointment can change the mood.
Sunderland, who have their own European considerations to navigate during the final stretch of their debut top-flight season, will be no formality.
With that battle as the immediate backdrop, planning for next season is already underway — and one name has emerged as a priority for De Zerbi as he looks to reshape the squad this summer.
De Zerbi asks Tottenham to sign Arthur Vermeeren
According to SportsBoom, Tottenham are monitoring midfielder Arthur Vermeeren with a view to a summer move, contingent on the club retaining their Premier League status.
The 21-year-old spent some of the second half of the season working directly under De Zerbi at Marseille before the Italian departed the Stade Vélodrome in February, and the connection between manager and player is understood to be a significant factor in Spurs' interest.
De Zerbi has already requested that Vermeeren's name be added to a list of potential summer targets as he begins planning a squad overhaul, and the player himself is reported to be keen on the idea of continuing their working relationship at a new club.
With no European football to offer next season, Tottenham's budget will be constrained, and Vermeeren is expected to be available for around £25m — a relatively accessible figure given that his loan to Marseille expires this summer and RB Leipzig hold his registration.
If Leipzig deem him surplus to requirements, Spurs could move without a prolonged negotiation.
Vermeeren's journey to this point has been an unusual one.
He broke through at Royal Antwerp, making close to 70 appearances and winning a Belgian Pro League title before Atlético Madrid brought him to Spain.
The Belgian managed just five senior outings at the Wanda Metropolitano before heading to the Bundesliga and then on to Marseille on loan.
Those who have tracked his career most closely have long believed the talent is exceptional.
TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey flagged his potential as far back as 2023 on the Talking Transfers podcast, when Vermeeren was still at Antwerp and Arsenal were believed to be keen on him.
"This guy is special," said Bailey.
"Antwerp have a little superstar on their hands here in Arthur Vermeeren. He really is, from what I'm being told speaking to scouts, they think he's special.
"Our understanding is that Man City, Arsenal and Tottenham have all enquired about him, so have Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Juventus, Barcelona as well who looked in the summer at him."
The interest has been there for years, but whether Tottenham are still in the Premier League to act on it is a question that begins to be answered on Sunday afternoon.