Some might claim that Tottenham Hotspur's recent double of defeats against Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively in the Premier League signals the end of the purple patch under Ange Postecoglou this season.

But circumstantial absences and dismissals more than played their part; against the Blues, Spurs were ahead courtesy of Dejan Kulusevski's deflected early effort, full of swagger and looking good for preserving the table-topping position.

Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero both received the violent glare of the red card to turn the tide in north London, with injuries to James Maddison and Micky van de Ven exacerbating the woes.

It was a detrimental evening and one that seeped into the following fixture against disciplined Wolves, who manufactured a turnaround in the dying embers, with Spurs having led for the lion's share of the match through Brennan Johnson's early goal.

Circumstance has indeed been at the centre of this mini-crisis, but there is ample reason to be optimistic for the future under the Australian manager's guidance, whose reign is still in its fledgling phase.

Only one outfield played used at Molineux was a Postecoglou signing – Johnson – and the upcoming winter transfer market now represents the perfect opportunity for his influence to stretch and suffuse the squad further.

Tottenham transfer news – Samuel Iling-Junior

According to the Independent's Miguel Delaney, Tottenham are considering a January swoop for Juventus and England U21 wideman Samuel Iling-Junior, who has earned acclaim for his exciting talent over the past year or so.

The 20-year-old has been honing his craft since joining from Chelsea's prolific Cobham academy in 2020, with Premier League sides Aston Villa and Everton also registering an interest over the summer.

Such reports claimed that the Old Lady would be willing to discuss his departure for around €20-25m (£17m-£21m), and given that he is contracted until 2025, the time may soon be apt for Spurs to accelerate their interest.

Samuel Iling-Junior's style of play

Still in the early stage of his career, Iling-Junior can play across both wings as well as deeper down the left flank, having earned four substitute appearances in Serie A this season and deployed in wing-back role.

The £11k-per-week winger has been likened to Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies by talent scout Jacek Kulig, with the Canadian full-back hailed as the "best attacking full-back on the planet" in the past by Rio Ferdinand.

Indeed, as per FBref, Davies ranks among the top 6% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 5% for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, showcasing his brilliance as a lightning-fast offensive weapon running from deep.

Iling-Junior boasts similar qualities and would offer Postecoglou the perfect new tool to wield down the wing, with versatility enough that he can be fielded further upfield when need be too.

Not just confined to a defensive tag, the player himself has declared that he is "similar" to Leroy Sane, with his electric pace and directness setting him in good stead to dominate down the wing in the years to come.

And given that he has been pronounced as an "assist machine" by journalist Michele Neri, he could provide similar success, with Sane having served seven goals this season alone.

Why Tottenham are interested in Samuel Iling-Junior

Postecoglou's side have been tremendous, by and large, this season, and the possession-based, offence-heavy system has captured the awe of the Premier League and put Spurs in the ascendancy.

Iling-Junior's set of skills appear to make him the perfect fit down the N17; praised for his "high energy and work volume as well as dreamy ball skills" by scout Antonio Mango, the energetic ace would bring progression in abundance.

The 5 foot 11 starlet ranks among the top 5% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 18% for shot-creating actions, the top 18% for progressive carries, the top 13% for successful take-ons, the top 10% for tackles and the top 12% for blocks and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

Clearly a dynamic presence, Iling-Junior's fluidity will have been a large part behind Postecoglou's hunger to snap him up, with the talent offering ability across multiple areas of the pitch.

Further, his innate eye for goal means that he could be moulded into a player of merit in the final third, effectively bolstering a thriving frontline containing the likes of Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski.

And that's without imagining the impact that Maddison could have from the centre, pulling the strings and breaking the lines to find the marauding Englishman down the channel, darting toward the byline.

When he was Celtic manager, Postecoglou confirmed his belief that the youth should receive chances to impress, something that very much aligns with the make-up of this exciting and youthful Spurs side.

Answering whether he relishes nurturing talented teenagers to the first-team fold, he said, “I certainly do. I think it’s an important part of any club, this club.

“Having players who were brought up with this club is important. I mean, you just have to look at our captain. It’s not just for Callum [McGregor], it’s for our supporters. To know that one of their own has gone from the terraces to on the pitch."

Pape Matar Sarr and Udogie are aged 21 and 20 respectively and have formed part of the nucleus of the squad; equally, Tottenham's development squad boasts a robust crop of players, with plenty capable of wading into regular senior action.

Udogie, in particular, appears to be of a similar ilk to Iling-Junior, with FBref listing the duo as comparable players, further underscoring the value that Postecoglou could find in a young talent tailor-made for his Lilywhites system.

Destiny Udogie's season by numbers

Udogie was signed from Serie A side Udinese for an initial £15m last summer before loaning him back to the Italian side for the 2022/23 campaign, and since integrating into the Tottenham squad this year, he has been one of the standout performers.

Remarked to be "sickeningly good" by footballJOE's Hunter Gordon, Udogie has earned two assists from ten matches in the Premier League this season, completing 88% of his passes, winning 2.7 tackles and making 6.2 recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.

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Player

Club

1

Issa Kabore

Luton Town

2

Joao Cancelo

Barcelona

3

Alphonso Davies

Bayern Munich

4

Juan Cuadrado

Inter Milan

5

Andrea Cambiaso

Juventus

*Sourced via FBref

Like Iling-Junior, he has been deemed a player of similar ability to Davies, and has been lauded by Pochettino for his "outstanding physical attributes".

The exciting talent looks set to serve the left-back role well for years to come at Tottenham, but with competition in Iling-Junior, Spurs would have a new layer of dynamism and interchangeability to aid them in their endeavours.

Described as a "flamboyant" player by Kulig, Iling-Junior fits the profile at Spurs and could flourish under Postecoglou's wing, and given that his signature would come at a relatively affordable price, he might just be the perfect addition to strengthen the squad.