Speculation was rife following Ange Postecoglou's appointment as the new Tottenham Hotspur boss that the 57-year-old was seeking to oversee something of a squad clearout this summer, albeit with Harry Winks having thus far been the only notable departure from N17.
That being said, however, more exits appear to be in the works with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg among those who could be shown the door, with the Danish midfielder having been heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid of late.
If chairman Daniel Levy is to sanction the sale of the 27-year-old this summer then there will no doubt need to be a suitable replacement found, hence the intrigue as to the names that have been suggested as possible options of late.
Who could replace Hojbjerg at Tottenham?
According to a report from The Sun last week, the Lilywhites are potentially set to do battle with rivals Arsenal for the signing of Aston Villa's midfield maestro, Douglas Luiz, with the Brazilian having been identified as a successor to Hojbjerg in the centre of the park.
The 25-year-old – who signed for Villa from Manchester City on a £15m deal back in 2019 – only signed a new long-term contract with the Midlands side last season, with it yet to be seen if Unai Emery's would be willing to part ways with the nine-cap international over the coming weeks.
While viewed as a possible replacement for Hojbjerg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Luiz could also potentially represent a dream upgrade on Oliver Skipp in Postecoglou's midfield ranks.
How good is Douglas Luiz?
It is not yet clear what it would take for Spurs to be able to prise the one-time Girona loanee from Villa Park, although, with the playmaker valued at €30m (£26m) by CIES Football Observatory, any deal close to that figure could prove to be bargain move indeed.
While both Skipp and Hojberg – who talkSPORT's Perry Groves suggested "don't do anything" in the centre of the park – endured a difficult time of it last term, Luiz was part of a Villa side that notably secured Europa Conference League qualification following a seventh-placed finish.
Previously lauded as "outstanding" by pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, the £75k-per-week asset notably scored six goals and contributed six assists in 37 Premier League appearances last term, with that attacking threat far superior to that of Skipp, who registered just a solitary goal contribution from his 23 league outings.
That ability to provide a creative spark from his deep-lying berth is showcased by the fact that Luiz created seven big chances and averaged 1.2 key passes per game in 2022/23, while the current Tottenham man failed to create a single big chance and averaged just 0.4 key passes per game.
The Villans star also boasts the benefit of being able to offer an impressive screen in front of the back four due to his ability to win back possession, as he averaged 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game in contrast to just 2.2 for that same metric for Skipp – while Hojbjerg averaged three tackles and interceptions last season.
With journalist Alex Crook even suggesting earlier this month that Skipp could be sold if a suitable offer was to arrive, Postecoglou could acquire the upgrade that he is looking for with the signing of Luiz.
