Are Tottenham Hotspur finding their feet under Thomas Frank's stewardship?
Certainly, we have seen green shoots in recent matches. After that dismal home defeat to Fulham at the end of November, Spurs battled to a 2-2 draw at St. James' Park before beating Brentford in the Premier League and Slavia Prague in the Champions League.
Two clean sheets from two games, but Tottenham still could do with reinforcements in the rearguard. Namely, ENIC Group are planning to help Frank piece together a lasting project with a new left-back.
Destiny Udogie picked up a hamstring injury against Newcastle United and will be out until the New Year. But the Italian defender has been out of sorts this season anyway, and Tottenham are ready to take action.
Spurs' search for a left-back
Udogie quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous up-and-coming full-backs in Europe after joining Tottenham from Hellas Verona. Better known for his time on loan with Udinese across multiple years, the Italian was hailed as "the best left-back" in the country by Clinton Morrison on BBC Sport a few months into his arrival under Ange Postecoglou's wing.
However, Udogie's persistent injury issues have stunted his growth, and the 23-year-old has been told he "needs to wake up" by one coach this term, lacking awareness and dynamism. With Ben Davies getting on - and rarely getting off the bench - competition is needed, especially with the Lilywhites making headway in the Champions League.
That's why Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange are circling in on Eintracht Frankfurt star Nathaniel Brown, with TEAMtalk revealing that the 22-year-old German international is on Tottenham's wishlist ahead of the winter window.
A versatile wideman with no qualms about playing further upfield, Brown would add depth and new dimensions to Frank's team, though this is a sentiment shared with rivals, Arsenal and Manchester United also among the suitors named.
He would cost upwards of £50m, but Brown has the potential to become one of the best in the business, and he would slot right into Frank's set-up.
What Brown would bring to Spurs
Brown, a German-born player with American heritage, boasts blistering pace and a desire to progress play whenever he can. However, he is also defensively sound, mixing between duties seamlessly.
As per FBref, Brown ranks among the top 9% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 3% for tackles per 90, underlining his dynamism and ability to mix defence with attack.
In this, he has something of a likeness to Udogie, the finest iteration of the Italy star, and while Spurs' talented wide defender has fallen by the wayside of late, his profile remains tailor-made for a starring role in one of Europe's top outfits.
Brown, moreover, is on an upward trajectory, with analyst Spencer Mossman claiming earlier in 2025 that he is "one-two years away from being the most coveted left back" in the world. Already, several of the Premier League's biggest sides want to bring him over, suggesting that he is indeed ahead of that prediction already.
Frankfurt has a rather porous defence this season, and that is a concern, but Brown is one of the standouts, showcasing an impressive mix of qualities. Furthermore, he rode the crest of a wave into the current campaign, having played so well in the Bundesliga last year.
As we can see from the respective left-backs' Champions League campaigns, Brown is enjoying greater success, with his staggering duel success rate something to note.
Last season, talent scout Jacek Kulig said Brown is "moving to another level", so perhaps it is the right time for him to take the leap of faith over the channel and down N17 to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
What Tottenham decide to do remains to be seen, but Frank needs a few more instruments in his tactical toolbox, and Brown could mark his crowning signing as improvements start to reveal themselves.