So then, Tottenham Hotspur are fifth in the Premier League as international action jumps forward once again. After 11 matches, Thomas Frank's side have been solid, but they have not been spectacular.
Frank is meticulous, looking to dot the i's and cross the t's when crafting a tactical system and a winning culture. At Tottenham, though, the scale of the task is vast, and while there have been encouraging signs since the summer, he needs to build a more creative and exciting outfit.
A sure-fire way to move closer toward this level of fluency would be to inculcate into the fold the latest academy star - the next Harry Kane, perhaps?
Spurs need to find Harry Kane 2.0
Of course, this is easier said than done. Kane is one of the greatest footballers England has ever produced, and his personal achievements down N17 have made him one of Tottenham's biggest legends of modern times.
Months before leaving Spurs for Bayern Munich in 2023, Kane became the club's all-time top goalscorer. He left having played 435 matches for the Londoners, posting 280 strikes across all competitions.
It's fair to say that Tottenham have struggled to replace him, with Richarlison and Dominic Solanke toiling away at number nine over the past few years.
To think he was once a fringe player with little hype around his name, loaned out to a string of lower-level sides before establishing himself as "their best-ever player", in the words of journalist Sean Walsh.
The lift that would be found through unearthing the new version would be immense, and Frank may find the answer in a current prospect out in League Two.
The Spurs talent who could be the next Kane
This young talent may not be a centre-forward, but he is a skilful and dynamic playmaker who could dovetail into a haggard midfield.
Plying his trade for Notts County in League Two, Tyrese Hall is demonstrating a technical craft that could be further developed over the coming years and established somewhere at the top of the Premier League ladder, perhaps finding a way into Frank's Tottenham first team.
The 20-year-old has won 53% of his ground duels in League Two this season, as per Sofascore, averaging 1.6 tackles per match besides. This is an impressive metric for a young attacking midfielder.
Jermaine Defoe has even said in the past that Hall is “one of the best players at his age I’ve seen in the country.” There's a long way for him to go, but if physicality and skill can be balanced out, Frank could have a player of surpassing ability on his hands, perhaps even the next Kane.
He's found his feet as a central midfielder at Notts County, tailored toward creating and influencing between the lines, but Hall has a diverse skillset, and it's seen him deployed across a host of roles for Spurs' youth sides.
Kane's performances for the likes of Leyton Orient and Millwall during the springtime of his illustrious career likely helped fashion him into the player he is today, the 32-year-old with 23 goals from 17 matches for Bayern this season.
Given that the noise around Hall before his breakthrough is arguably louder, with those in the know believing he is beyond something special, there's every reason to be excited at Tottenham, especially given that his profile could provide a tonic to the current creative woes.
Said to be "magic on the ball" by Magpies correspondent K-Ci Rennicks, Hall has taken a leaf from Kane's book and fostered his technical craft away from home, learning fundamental skills that the development scene simply doesn't have the capacity to match.
His creativity and flair could work wonders in the Spurs centre next season, and he might just make his mark as Kane did when bursting onto the scene way back when.