Noise regarding Randal Kolo Muani's potential departure from Tottenham Hotspur is gathering pace. The January transfer window shuts in less than a week, and the Frenchman is angling for a loan switch to Juventus in Italy.
Few of a Spurs persuasion would lose any sleep over that one, except maybe Thomas Frank, who has struggled to get a tune out of his attacking options this season and needs every piece of artillery at his disposal.
Of course, were Kolo Muani to leave, it would increase the pressure on ENIC Group moving to sign a replacement, and Spurs might just have such a player in mind.
Spurs lining up Kolo Muani replacement
Last summer, Tottenham missed out on a slew of transfer targets, the most salient of which being Eberechi Eze, who came close to moving to N17 from Crystal Palace before Arsenal hijacked the move.
Tottenham ended up signing Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for about £52m, but that one must still rankle.
With James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski out injured but working toward reemerging from the infirmary, signing another big-money central playmaker is less important than signing a top goalscorer, should Kolo Muani leave.
And according to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are said to be 'exploring' a move for Jean-Philippe Mateta as they look to strengthen their frontline this winter, though the wantaway French forward is currently slated for a move to Nottingham Forest who are in talks to acquire him.
The report further outlines that Spurs are 'keeping a close eye on the situation' and are asking the Eagles that they are kept informed of any developments that occur between now and the closure of the window next Monday.
The Eagles have stuck by their £40m asking price, and while that's a hefty outlay, Mateta is a proven Premier League goalscorer who would add a much-needed dimension to the Tottenham attack.
Why Mateta would be perfect for Spurs
Mateta is 28 and he has bloomed late as a top-class goalscoring option. But he has bloomed. Earlier this season, analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson said that he has become "one of the best strikers in the Premier League".
There is very little fluff about the Les Bleus star's game. He scores goals. His physicality and timing and presence leave little to be desired.
Described as a "goal machine" by reporter Will Pickworth, Mateta would offer Spurs consistency in the final third, with his returns in front of goal worth paying £40m for, as his track record in the Premier League would tell you.
There would also be a sense of vindication, a feeling of justice in signing one of Crystal Palace's talismanic players after coming so close last summer. In this, the Lilywhites would land their own version of Eze.
Mateta is a number nine, whereas Eze is a fleet-footed playmaker, adept in the middle or out on the left wing. There is a certain similarity to be drawn to this deal, though, with Tottenham potentially hijacking a Premier League rival for this in-demand Palace star.
The need for an Eze-like talent remains strong on the white half of north London, but with Kolo Muani mooted to be leaving, a Mateta-shaped opening has been drawn to the forefront.
Whether Spurs are too late remains to be seen. Forest's interest is more advanced. However, the allure of remaining in London and spearheading a team with a greater chance of competing at the top over the next several years - and beyond - may well swing the odds in Frank's favour.
Mateta would be assigned to a different berth than Eze, but the significance of his arrival could actually outdo that of Eze, who has struggled at the Emirates this season.
Tottenham need goals, and Mateta knows how to score them.