There is no getting away from it; it's been a dire season for Tottenham Hotspur so far.
Ange Postecoglou's side currently find themselves in 11th place in the Premier League, and while they have a League Cup semi-final to look forward to, it's against the utterly sensational Liverpool, who look practically unbeatable.
It's not all doom and gloom, though, as the club do have a number of genuinely exciting youngsters in the squad and academy, which could see them become a serious force a few years down the line.
Moreover, it would appear as if Daniel Levy and Co are leaning into this strategy further, as recent reports have linked the club with another exciting prospect who could be the ideal long-term rival for James Maddison.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are very interested in Brighton & Hove Albion prospect Facundo Buonanotte, who's currently on loan with Leicester City.
In fact, the report has revealed that the North Londoners have already acted upon their interest and have made an offer of around €45m for the young Argentine, which works out to about £37m.
However, the story claims that this fee may not be enough to tempt the Seagulls into selling the £25k-per-week gem, which only shows how highly rated he is.
It could prove to be a complicated and potentially costly transfer to get over the line, but given Buonanotte's ability and potential, it could be well worth pursuing, especially if he can offer Maddison more competition in the short term.
Why Buonanotte would be a good signing
There are two key reasons why Buonanotte could prove to be an excellent signing for Spurs.
The first is the extra competition he could offer Maddison over the next couple of years.
Now, at just 20 years old, there shouldn't be an expectation on the Argentine's head to come in and displace the Englishman, but as things stand, he looks like he could at least challenge him for minutes here and there.
For example, while the former Leicester City ace has scored eight goals and provided five assists in 26 appearances this season, the current Foxes "magician," as dubbed by Rising Stars XI on X, has scored four goals and provided two assists in just 18 appearances.
Now, while that means the Coventry-born ace is averaging a goal involvement every two games to the Argentine's average of one every three games, he is doing so in a more attack-oriented and better-resourced side, not to mention the fact that he's eight years older.
In short, while the Brighton prospect wouldn't displace the Lilywhites' number ten right away, he certainly looks like he's on the right track, which brings us to the second reason the North Londoners should sign him: their project.
With the additions of Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall, and Yang Hook combined with academy products like Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear, it's clear that Levy and Co are building for a bright future, and therefore, a player like Buonanotte would be the perfect addition.
As talkSPORT's Jack Johnson says, the youngster "is going to be a star," and if you still aren't convinced, then you only need to listen to former Premier League winner Carlos Tevez, who said the youngster "reminds me of Messi" a few years ago, and that "he has no ceiling."
Ultimately, while it is a lot of money to spend on a youngster, Buonanotte has already shown he can contribute now, and based on the opinions of those in the know, he could be an absolute world-beater a few years down the line.
Therefore, Spurs should do what they can to bring him to N17 next year.