There is plenty to be excited about at Tottenham Hotspur right now but there's no denying the 2023/24 campaign has been something of a mixed bag so far, albeit with an emphatic Premier League finish very much attainable.
Of course, there are two sides to that coin, and if fifth-placed Spurs don't find a vein of consistency soon then Aston Villa may pull away in fourth – with resurgent Manchester United starting to build steam too.
Tottenham have recruited shrewdly since Ange Postecoglou was anointed last summer, but the new additions have been made with the Champions League in mind.
One acquisition who no doubt expects to be competing in football's pre-eminent club competition is Lucas Bergvall, who opted for north London in January despite a vested interest from Barcelona.
Lucas Bergvall is a "generational talent"
Praised for his "generational" qualities in central midfield by one analyst and drawing comparisons to Jude Bellingham for his prodigious multi-functionality, Bergvall is quite the signing for Postecoglou's side.
Wrapped up for €10m (£8m) plus add-ons, the 18-year-old is still in his Swedish homeland at present, officially moving to London from Djurgårdens IF in the summer.
An elite distributor and frightening presence with the ball at his feet, Bergvall has completed 88% of his passes in the Allsvenskan this term while also succeeding with 68% of his passes, as per Sofascore.
Bergvall's energy and enthusiasm on the ball underline his potential as a high-class midfielder, with a rangy, tough-sinewed frame bespeaking his elite athleticism.
What he will need, down the line, is a reliable defensive midfield partner, and where better to look than Tottenham's own academy ranks?
George Abbott could be Spurs' own Declan Rice
George Abbott: the man of the hour. 18 years old and already considered one of Tottenham's most promising academy members, having actually made his Premier League debut during the 5-1 victory over Leeds United last May.
This season, the teenager has earned seven appearances for Wayne Burnett's development squad, posting two goals and one assist, principally fielded as the anchorman but also doing a job in central defence.
Part of an academy “revolution” at Tottenham – as has been noted by football.london's Alasdair Gold – Abbott is a reliable defensive midfielder, endowed with a complete midfield skill set.
Across two matches in the EFL Trophy this term, against senior opposition, Abbott completed 93% of his passes and averaged two tackles per game, highlighting the promising core attributes.
Given his positional fluidity and captaincy at U21 level, Abbott could prove to be Tottenham's very own version of Declan Rice, who completed a £105m transfer to Arsenal in the summer after rising from the West Ham United academy to spearhead David Moyes' side to triumph in the Europa Conference League.
Rice is a world-class central midfielder but spent the fledgling phase of his career in defence; now considered a "Rolls Royce" player by journalist Joshua Mbu, his incredible grasp of the game has fashioned him into the player he is today.
In The Pipeline
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Abbott, too, has the trappings of a high-class midfield machine in the future, and must now be handed an opportunity to impress under Postecoglou's wing.
