Back in December, Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou revealed that signing a centre-back was his priority for the January transfer market.
In the days before the market opened for business, it became clear that the pursuit of previous top target Jean-Clair Todibo had been abandoned, with Genoa's Radu Dragusin targetted instead.
A deal for Dragusin is wrapped up to follow the surprise loan acquisition of forward Timo Werner – formerly of Chelsea – but there is still a key area of the pitch that has yet to be addressed.
Postecoglou is understood to have notified technical director Johan Lange that he desires a centre-midfielder this month, and now, with other moves tied up, such an endeavour can receive full focus.
Spurs transfer news – midfielders
Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are playing at the African Cup of Nations for the next month in what accentuates the need for a fresh face in the engine room, though a move is unlikely to be carried out in haste and for this reason, it's unlikely that £50m will be forked out on Chelsea's Conor Gallagher.
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With this in mind, a move for linked star Adam Wharton might be a good move, with Football Insider recently revealing that Blackburn Rovers might be compelled to accept a bid of £15m for the 19-year-old, who is enjoying quite the start in the Championship.
Spurs – alongside Crystal Palace and Everton – have been impressed with Wharton and could now find the perfect opportunity to complete the winter spending without rocking the boat too hard with a 'marquee' addition.
Adam Wharton's style of play
While Gallagher would be a brilliant addition, he would demand regular match action and this could be detrimental to the fluency and cohesion of the current crop.
Wharton, however, could be the perfect addition, still in his teenage years and likely happy to play a bit-part role initially, integrating him into the starting set-up with greater regularity over the coming seasons.
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Having amassed 49 appearances for Rovers thus far, Wharton has scored three goals and supplied five assists, starting 12 times in the Championship last season (including the final five fixtures of the campaign.
His manager Jon Dahl Tomasson was delighted with his progress and touted him for big things after this emphatic introduction, saying: "Adam, on the ball, he has a Champions League level. I've been a Champions League player myself, I've coached in the Champions League so I know what you need."
This year, as per Sofascore, the Englishman has started 20 times in the league already, posting one goal and three assists, completing 84% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes, 2.3 tackles and 5.5 ball recoveries per game and succeeding with 67% of his attempted dribbles.
One scout has also said that he "has excellent ball control, great passing technique, good agility and quick decision-making contribute to his effectiveness in both offensive and defensive phases, versatile playmaking abilities."
Increasingly confident as a multi-functional midfielder, Wharton also ranks among the top 19% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Championship over the past year for progressive passes, the top 15% for interceptions and the top 22% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
With such a skill set, Spurs could get their mitts on an industrious and elegant midfielder, blending tenacity and technique to great effect to possibly even emulate the success of revered former star Mousa Dembele.
Imagine Adam Wharton & James Maddison
"For me, he is a genius. An unbelievable player."
The words of erstwhile Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose effusive remarks concerning Dembele perhaps encapsulate his brilliant style, with his countryman Kevin De Bruyne even going as far as to say that the former Belgium international was "the best in the world" in his position.
Completing 249 appearances for Tottenham, Dembele was renowned for his control and command in the centre of the park, with opponents outthought and outfought each and every game and Spurs fans in awe of his effortless displays.
Passing
Finishing
Tackling
Dribbling
Defensive contribution
*Sourced via WhoScored
With such a remarkable balance of quality in his craft, if Wharton could replicate some of said talents then it would only serve him well as he pushes for prominence at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Young Wharton certainly possesses some of the same traits – he can pass, recover the ball with great efficiency and beat opponents with his dribbling ability.
And with James Maddison pulling the strings ahead of him, Postecoglou could even create the new version of Dembele and Christian Eriksen, with the latter even saying in the past that Dembele is the best player he has ever played with.
Eriksen signed for Tottenham from Ajax for £11.5m back in 2013 and chalked up 305 appearances, posting 69 goals and 90 assists and earning acclaim as one of the finest playmakers across Europe.
Now 31 years old and playing for Manchester United, the Dane is not the player he once was but he does have a worthy successor down the N17 in Maddison, who signed for Spurs from Leicester City for £40m in the summer.
Described as a "magician" by Statman Dave, the England international scored three goals and supplied five assists from 11 Premier League outings this season – winning August's Player of the Month and impressively averaging 2.9 key passes per game – before an injury in November halted his progress.
Nonetheless, the 26-year-old will return soon and could be bolstered by an all-encompassing talent such as Wharton, who could develop quite the partnership with the midfielder over the coming months.
Given that Wharton is available for such an affordable fee, it's a no-brainer that Postecoglou makes his move swiftly and maintains the balance and fluency as Tottenham continue to improve and bloom as a force in the Premier League once again.