As new Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou walked in the door earlier this summer, rumours were rife that the ex-Celtic boss was plotting something of a mass squad exodus in order to spark a rapid improvement on last season's collective woes.
Fast forward a few months, however, and the only notable sale has been that of Harry Winks to Championship side Leicester City, with that expected clearout having yet to take shape despite the raft of incomings that have arrived at N17.
One man who does look likely to be on his way before the close of the window is usual everpresent, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with 90min having suggested back in June that the Lilywhites were open to offers for the 27-year-old.
Will Tottenham sell Hojbjerg?
At present, it looks as if the Danish maestro – who has missed just five Premier League games across the last three seasons – is set to be on his way to La Liga side Atletico Madrid, with Football Insider claiming that such a sale could recoup a fee of around £25m.
The belief is, however, that a departure for the former Southampton man – who made the move to the capital on a £15m deal back in 2020 – won't be sanctioned unless a replacement is found, with the likes of Conor Gallagher and Douglas Luiz having been mooted as potential options of late.
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Rather than splashing the cash on those figures – with Gallagher, in particular, reportedly set to fetch £50m – Postecoglou could save the club millions by looking to the academy ranks instead, with young Matthew Craig one such talent who could be deserving of a more prominent role in the first team.
Who is Matthew Craig?
It is fair to say that promoting from within was not too high on the agenda during Antonio Conte's time in charge, with reports indicating that staff at Tottenham had been left 'disillusioned' by the Italian's approach with regard to the academy – among other issues.
On current evidence, however, it looks as if Postecoglou could be a different kettle of fish, with football.london's Alasdair Gold writing only recently that the 57-year-old 'likes working with young players', hence bringing in the likes of Micky van de Ven (22) and Alejo Veliz (19).
As far as Craig is concerned, the 20-year-old midfielder will be hoping he can be a real beneficiary of that change in the dugout, with the Scotland youth international having already enjoyed a brief taste of senior action last term after making his top-flight debut on the final day against Leeds United.
Having signed a new deal last month that runs until 2026, the Barnet-born maestro is evidently a player that the north Londoners are excited about, with the aforementioned Gold hailing him for his versatility, as he can feature as a defensive midfielder or at centre-back and full-back if required.
Of course, the loss of an experienced figure like Hojbjerg – who has been described as a 'fantastic leader' by former youth coach John Ranum – would leave something of a void in the centre of the park, although having also dubbed himself a "leader", Craig may be ready to step up to the plate.
One notable strength that the youngster possesses is his creative quality as he recorded five assists in 26 Premier League 2 games last term, with that same number as what Hojbjerg racked up in the top flight from 35 outings.
Equally, while the latter man showcased his ball-winning strength in 2022/23 after averaging 1.5 tackles per game, young Craig recorded the same average from his two EFL Trophy appearances last term, thus illustrating that he is on track to emulate the one-time Bayern Munich man.
Although it would be a gamble for Postecoglou to put his faith in the £900-per-week playmaker, the Greek-Aussie should well be keen to showcase that his tenure will be different to the last, with the academy not merely something of an afterthought…