Tottenham Hotspur could be set to take a huge stride towards replacing Harry Kane by emulating the past success of a rival…
Who could replace Harry Kane?
Ange Postecoglou has been handed the task that few Lilywhites managers ever wanted to undertake, as the sale of the England captain was taken out of his hands with Bayern Munich's persistence paying off.
For all the frustration and the quality they have lost, it does almost offer the dawn of a new era, one that's not reliant on a sole star and ready to drive towards a brighter future.
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In order to ensure that potential is attained, it seems that the Australian must trust in youth rather than scouring the market for immediate but short-term success.
Given what Soccernet.ng are reporting, that does seem to be the thinking behind their touted swoop for Gift Orban.
Valued at around €30m (£26m), it is noted that Spurs have opened talks with Belgium high-flyers K.A.A, Gent to bring him to the Premier League.
Earlier reports have suggested that a bid is imminent.
How good is Gift Orban?
With the 21-year-old finisher, goals would seemingly not be hard to come by, which is a benefit considering just how many they have lost with Kane's departure.
The 30-year-old was the club's all-time top scorer and was coming off the back of a season where he notched 30 league goals as the rest of his team struggled.
Whatever circumstances arose, he remained consistently brilliant.
Fortunately for Postecoglou, it seems that Orban shares that same quality in front of goal, as last term also saw the Nigerian post 20 goals and two assists across just 22 games in all competitions, having started this campaign in similarly blistering fashion, with five goals in four games.
Such form understandably has drawn praise, with his boss Hein Vanhaezebrouck noting:
"He’s a phenomenon and he will continue to be a phenomenon. I’ve said it five times and I’ll keep saying it. This is normal for him. Gift Orban was hungry and showed his qualities once again, I keep calling him a phenomenon and that will not change."
Whilst all signs already point towards this being a fine addition given the lethal nature of someone so young, there are additional factors that could lend to the potential success of the deal. After all, to sign someone directly from Belgium to England does draw comparisons with Kevin De Bruyne, who also traded his boyhood Genk for Chelsea in 2012.
Although his career only really took off once he left Stamford Bridge, the 32-year-old has since returned with Manchester City to terrorise English football with his patented creativity.
He has been ever-present in five Premier League title victories, as well as winning two FA Cups, five League Cups and that coveted Champions League just last season. Such success has seen him make 358 appearances for the Citizens, scoring 96 and assisting a further 153.
The Belgium international is a true legend of the game, with Jamie Redknapp even suggesting he might be one of the best ever:
"His football brain and IQ make him no.1 [of the best midfielders in Premier League history] for me, and hopefully we can find a little bit more about what makes him tick because every young footballer should watch him and the way he plays in midfield".
Whilst Orban is not expected to emulate such an imperious legacy, should he attain half of that success Postecoglou would be more than pleased. The young finisher would mark a perfect foundation for his new-look attack to be built, walking the same path that De Bruyne did and hopefully reaching similar levels.
