FootballFanCast

While they finally saw their team lift a significant honour in the Europa League, we reckon most Tottenham Hotspur fans are happy to see the back of this season.

For example, away from their continental success, the North Londoners finished all the way down in 17th place in the Premier League and failed to get past the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.

So, whether Ange Postecoglou keeps his job or not, Daniel Levy and Co need to do all they can to bring in the right players this summer, players who can help them rise up the table and put in a good showing in the Champions League next season.

Fortunately, the club seem to be on the same page, as reports are now linking the North Londoners with an incredible talent who could be their answer to Manchester United's seemingly imminent signing of Bryan Mbeumo.

Tottenham transfer news

Back in the January transfer window, Spurs were one of several Premier League sides quite heavily linked with a move for Mbeumo, and while nothing came of it, the links didn't go away.

In fact, the Brentford star was still being touted for a move to N17 as recently as last month, but then this week, all hopes of the North Londoners securing the Cameroonian's signature evaporated.

On Monday evening, The Athletic's David Ornstein revealed that despite interest from other sides, including Tottenham, the 25-year-old now wants to join the Red Devils.

While missing out on a player as talented as the former Troyes gem is never ideal, the good news is that the Lilywhites have now been linked with another sensational talent compared to him: Xavi Simons.

Yes, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Spurs are one of several teams interested in signing the RB Leipzig star.

The report claims that the North Londoners made contact with the player's camp in January and that they'll have to compete with Arsenal, Chelsea, and potentially Liverpool should they opt to move ahead with their interest.

The Dutchman is valued at around £65m by Leipzig, so while it would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, it's one worth fighting for, especially as he could be Tottenham's answer to Mbeumo.

How Simons compares to Mbeumo

So before getting into a couple of the other reasons why Spurs should be looking to sign Simons this summer, it's important to examine this comparison to Mbeumo and where it comes from.

It stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, and in this instance, has come to the conclusion that the Brentford star is the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Leipzig gem across the last 365 days.

The best way to understand how this conclusion was reached is by looking at some of the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, expected assists, shots and shots on target, goal-creating actions, tackles won, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

On top of their statistical similarities, the 22-year-old "pocket rocket," as dubbed by analyst Raj Chohan, could also have the same effect on the North Londoners that so many expect the Bees ace to have on United.

For example, despite missing some of the campaign with an ankle injury, the Amsterdam-born dynamo was able to rack up a seriously impressive haul of 11 goals and eight assists in 33 appearances for the German outfit.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.73 games for a team that struggled more than most expected this season.

Finally, in addition to his ability in and around goal, the 26-capped international is positionally versatile and is more than capable of playing off either wing, in attacking midfield and even as a centre-forward if need be.

Ultimately, missing out on Mbeumo isn't ideal, but in Simons, Spurs could have their own goalscoring superstar on their hands, so Levy and Co should be doing all they can to sign him this summer.

The closest Tottenham Hotspur have come to winning the Premier League in generations was under Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine's best team may have ended up being less successful than Ange Postecoglou's current side - trophy-wise, anyway - but it was stacked with some outrageously talented players.

The likes of Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and a young Son Heung-min will always get the plaudits from those outside of the fanbase, and understandably so, but the Lilywhites faithful know full well that Mousa Dembélé was just as important to that side.

The Belgian was an utterly superb central midfielder, so supporters should be excited about recent reports linking the team to a youngster who has shades of the retired monster about him.

Spurs midfield targets

Before getting to the player in question, it's worth looking at some of the other central midfielders who have been touted for moves to Spurs in recent weeks, like Quinten Timber and Angel Gomes.

The former is the brother of Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber, the captain of Feyenoord, reportedly worth £25m and could be an ideal addition to the squad, as he's capable of playing in attacking, central and defensive midfield.

Likewise, Gomes could be a sensational signing as, thanks to his contract with LOSC Lille expiring this month, he'll be available for nothing, and at just 24 years old, he already has experience of national team football, the Champions League and top-flight football in both Portugal, France and England.

Yet, neither one of these internationals could really be described as having shades of Dembélé to them, unlike Adam Wharton.

Yes, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Crystal Palace star is now a serious target for the North Londoners.

The report has revealed that the club are 'prioritizing a central midfield' signing this season, and the young Englishman 'figures highly on their shortlist.'

However, it won't be an easy deal to get done, as the Eagles are after upwards of £60m for the midfield maestro, but even then, with his ability and potential, that may be a fee worth paying for Spurs, especially as he could emulate parts of Dembélé's game.

How Wharton compares to Dembélé

So, before the pitchforks and torches come out, it's important to state that we are not saying that Wharton is currently as good a player as Dembélé was during his pomp at Spurs, as that would just be silly.

However, given the fact that he's still just 21 years old and will be until midway through next season, it's not that out there to suggest he could reach that level in time, especially as there are some similarities between the pair.

The first, and perhaps most significant, is the fact that the Palace gem very rarely loses the ball.

In fact, according to FBref, the "generational" talent, as dubbed by members of the media, sits in the bottom 40% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for the frequency he is dispossessed, coming in at just 0.89 times per 90, or, in other words, less than once a game.

A great example of this was in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, as, on top of winning duels, making tackles and playing a number of excellent passes, he was also able to hold onto the ball brilliantly despite the immense amount of pressure Pep Guardiola's side tried to exert on him.

This ability to keep the ball was one of the Belgian's most impressive, and it seems like the young Englishman has it in spades.

Then there are the more surface-level comparisons, such as both players coming from a London club - Fulham in Dembélé's case - and the fact that they could and can play in either central or defensive midfield.

Ultimately, while it's a lot of money, Spurs should do what they can to sign Wharton this summer, as he looks like he has the raw abilities and ceiling to become the club's next Dembélé.

After lots of speculation hinted at the possibility, Ryan Mason is now officially the brand-new West Bromwich Albion manager ahead of the 2025/26 campaign kicking off in the Championship.

It's a bold next step for Mason, considering he has only ever taken the reins at Spurs on an interim basis, but his work behind the scenes has been praised in North London, meaning he could be the breath of fresh air needed at the Hawthorns to kickstart a promotion push.

The 33-year-old could well rely on these Spurs connections when looking to make some impactful summer signings, with one or two young faces at the Premier League titans already being linked to make the switch to reunite with Mason.

Mason could use Spurs connections

The Baggies had frequently utilised the loan market when the likes of Carlos Corberan and Tony Mowbray stood in the dug-out.

Indeed, raw gems such as Will Lankshear (0 goals in 11 games) and Lewis Dobbin (0 goals in 18 games) failed to ever get going at the Hawthorns, away from the more experienced Adam Armstrong who was also a disappointing capture, having netted three times in 16 matches.

Therefore, Mason will hope - if he's given permission to raid his ex-side for some up-and-coming starlets - that these deals go swimmingly instead and aren't categorised as similar failures, with Spurs attacking hotshot Jamie Donley one notable name previously linked with a move to the West Midlands.

This could go down as a big success story when you consider Donley is just fresh off collecting 18 goal contributions for Leyton Orient on loan, but Mason's dream first Baggies signing could centre on one of the 20-year-old's teammates.

Amazingly, if all went to plan, Mason might well win himself the club's new Tom Fellows, with West Brom's attacking personnel undoubtedly boosted by potential activity in the market.

Mason could sign the next Fellows

Whilst West Brom would depressingly let a playoff spot slip out of their grasp last campaign, Fellows still managed to be a bright spark for his boyhood club throughout the bumpy season.

The time does feel right for Moore to spread his wings and gain an EFL education, with the 17-year-old now off the mark in the senior side when scoring the strike above in the Europa League earlier this year.

But, away from impressing here and there under Ange Postecoglou, the teenager needs regular minutes to fully strut his stuff with an appropriate platform surely coming his way now under Mason.

Reports do suggest that Mason has Moore on his early West Brom shopping list, and whilst the 17-year-old has lined up as a centre-forward and attacking midfielder during his fledgling Spurs career to date, he could well come into the Baggies step-up and terrorise defenders down the flanks much like Fellows.

After all, 18 of his Spurs appearances and counting have come down the left channel, with West Brom needing more numbers on the left too, owing to Mikey Johnston being the only recognised figure in Mason's camp capable of wreaking havoc on this wing.

He can even slot in down Fellows' trusty right-hand side if needed, but based on the numbers, Moore comes into his own as a creative force - much like the assist-heavy 22-year-old - when featuring on the left.

That is perhaps his best position with James Maddison having previously described him as "fearless" and a bit like Neymar in that role.

It will be intriguing to see if the North London prodigy can acclimatise well to the instant pressures of the Championship. If he can, Mason will have pulled off a dream first buy in the Hawthorns hot-seat.