If Tottenham Hotspur supporters are looking for a reason to be optimistic regarding the appointment of new boss Roberto De Zerbi, then the Italian's prior work with high-profile players might well be that.
It was De Zerbi who oversaw Moises Caicedo's first full season in the Premier League, after replacing Graham Potter in September 2022, with that debut campaign at Brighton and Hove Albion also seeing the enigmatic coach strike up a bond with Caicedo's midfield colleague, Alexis Mac Allister.
The 46-year-old might not have brought the Argentine to the Amex, but he was certainly central to the World Cup winner sealing a marquee move to Liverpool in 2023, with Mac Allister hailing De Zerbi as the "best manager I've ever had".
For a man who has worked under Jurgen Klopp and won the league with Arne Slot at Anfield, that is some statement, with Spurs now handed the chance to gift De Zerbi his next midfield project.
Spurs could see bid accepted to sign £25m midfielder for De Zerbi
The short-term priority is survival, although the Lilywhites will also need to plan ahead when it comes to potential summer signings, amid the need for something of a squad overhaul at N17.
Reports this week would suggest that the ball is already rolling in that regard, with Manchester City's James Trafford open to moving to north London, regardless of whether or not the club are in the Championship next season.
Not every reported target will be quite so keen to sample life in England's second tier, however, with SportsBoom revealing that Spurs are set to pursue a move for Belgian midfielder, Arthur Vermeeren, should they beat the drop come May.
The reports suggests that the 21-year-old - who is on loan at Marseille from RB Leipzig - is on Tottenham's list of summer targets, having flourished under De Zerbi at the Stade Velodrome.
His loan stint in France is soon set to come to an end, and De Zerbi is pushing for a reunion, with the feeling said to be 'mutual' as far as Vermeeren is concerned, as the youngster is open to making that switch.
In terms of a price tag, the piece outlines that Leipzig would be willing to cash in for a 'modest' sum of just £25m.
Why Vermeeren could be De Zerbi's new Mac Allister
After first coming to wider attention in his homeland at Royal Antwerp, it's been a turbulent two years or so for Vermeeren since then, having initially joined Atletico Madrid back in January 2024.
Just six months later, the playmaker was on his way to Germany on a loan deal with an option to buy, with the Bundesliga side exercising that option last January.
Again, however, that stay proved rather brief, with De Zerbi and co bringing him to France over the summer, the 11-cap Belgium starlet since making 20 appearances in all competitions this season.
Moving to a fourth club in just two years wouldn't be the best representation of his talent, although Vermeeren did enjoy a promising run under De Zerbi, with two assists in 17 games under the Italian from his deep-lying berth.
Much like Mac Allister, he is comfortable operating in a variety of midfield roles, while there is a creative, goalscoring streak to his game that is waiting to truly be unleashed, having racked up 11 goals and assists in his 66 games back at Antwerp.
De Zerbi, if given time to work with the £25m man over a longer period, could recreate the success he enjoyed with Mac Allister, with the 27-year-old's best scoring season of his career having come in 2022/23, as he netted ten Premier League goals in his final campaign on the south coast.
That year saw the South American add to his 12 goal involvements with an average of 1.3 key passes per game, a pass accuracy rate of 87% and an average of 2.6 tackles and interceptions won per game.
For comparison, in Vermeeren's last year in the Belgian Pro League, he may have only provided two assists, but he also averaged 1.3 key passes, an 87% pass accuracy rate and won 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game.