While much of the talk at Tottenham Hotspur are present is centred around the potential departure of talisman Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, there also other members of the first-team squad who are yet to resolve their futures at N17.
Among those looking set to join Kane out the door is former Southampton man, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the Denmark international looking set to seal a move to La Liga giants, Atletico Madrid.
Following prior reports that new boss Ange Postecoglou was open to offers for the 27-year-old, the speculation surrounding his future is now ramping up, amid claims that a €20m (£17m) bid from Atleti has been rejected.
If the experienced playmaker is to leave the north Londoners this summer it will leave Postecoglou in need of potential replacements, with a handful of names having already been tipped to fill the void.
Who will replace Hojbjerg at Tottenham?
According to previous reports from the Daily Mail, the likes of Conor Gallagher, Douglas Luiz and Gabri Veiga – the latter of whom plies his trade for Celta Vigo – have all been mooted as possible targets to replace Hojbjerg this summer.
As per journalist Rudy Galetti, the Premier League side are also said to have Barcelona's Franck Kessie on the "list", with the former AC Milan man having previously been a target for Daniel Levy and co during Antonio Conte's time at the helm.
The Ivory Coast international only made the move to Camp Nou last summer on a free transfer, although the belief is that the 26-year-old could be up for grabs for as little as €15m (£13m) after just a solitary season in Catalonia.
What is Franck Kessie's style of play?
The 6 foot sensation undoubtedly during a disappointing 2022/23 campaign after being restricted to just seven starts in Spain's top flight, albeit while having previously racked up over 200 appearances during his time in Milan.
Lauded as a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past, the £149k-per-week talent could well prove to be Tottenham's next Moussa Sissoko, with the pair said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref.
That likeness between the Barca ace and the Frenchman can notably be seen by their willingness to get forward from their midfield berths, with Sissoko averaging 1.30 per 90 for touches in the attacking penalty area, while Kessie is just ahead as he averages 2.60 in that regard – thus ranking in the top 12% among his European peers.
The duo are also alike, however, in that they aren't typically able to offer a real goal threat in the final third, with Kessie contributing just one goal and one assist in the league last season, while Sissoko – who currently plies his trade for French outfit, Nantes – scored twice and laid on no assists in 30 Ligue 1 outings.
That comparison between the pair could well showcase that Kessie can also prove to be a success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if he is to make the move this summer, with his French counterpart previously overcoming early struggles to thrive in north London.
Having made just eight league starts in his debut season at Spurs after joining from Newcastle United on a £30m deal in 2016, Sissoko shook off those early woes to cement himself as a key figure in the centre of the park, having eventually been "transformed", according to pundit Noel Whelan.
Also described as a "massive player" in the team by Whelan, the 33-year-old was memorably part of the side that reached the Champions League final in 2019, before departing for Watford in 2021.
With the 6 foot 2 gem – who was also dubbed a "warrior" by national team boss, Didier Deschamps – making his mark during his five-year stay in the capital, perhaps Kessie can follow suit as his heir apparent if Levy can strike a deal.
