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Who are Arsenal’s greatest players in Premier League history?

Where to start? The Gunners have had it all, from unstoppable defenders, and the most elegant midfielders to the most ruthless of goal scorers – most of which were carefully guided by the expert mind of Arsene Wenger.

Recent times have forced people into some kind of amnesia, before Mikel Arteta welcomed a player of Gabriel Jesus’ calibre this season and the North London club began jump-starting several memories. We’re not here to talk about the present, however. Instead, it’s all about those who previously starred at Arsenal. 

With some Invincible at their best, we’ve ranked Arsenal’s greatest players of the Premier League era. 

There are going to be multiple positions in here, so we can also see the best striker in Arsenal’s history, as well as the best midfielder in Arsenal’s history and so on.

10) Robin van Persie 

Arguably Arsenal’s greatest heartbreaker after he made the switch to Manchester United, before receiving a guard of honour at The Emirates after winning the Premier League title with The Red Devils, Robin van Persie remains one of the best players to play for the North London club in the Premier League era.

The Netherlands international scored 132 goals for the club during his time in north London, winning the FA Cup in 2005.

He was perhaps unfortunate not to win any other trophies at Arsenal – he would have to wait to join United to win the Premier League – which may well explain why he was so keen to move to Old Trafford.

Prior to his betrayal, the clinical Dutchman won one Golden Boot at the club, scoring 30 goals in the 2011/12 season.

9) Cesc Fabregas 

Speaking of heartbreak, Cesc Fabregas committed a similar felony as Van Persie when he opted for a move back to his boyhood club Barcelona, before eventually ending up at Chelsea and winning the Premier League title in a fantastic individual and collective campaign.

Whilst at Arsenal, however, he had plenty of moments to remember, including a stunning solo goal against bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and his penalty against Barcelona in the 2010 Champions League last eight – scored with a broken leg.

Much like Van Persie, he struggled to win trophies in north London; he did lift the FA Cup in 2005 but, like his counterpart, would have to join another club to actually win the league title.

Still, he goes down in history as one of Arsenal’s best signings ever.

8) Ian Wright

Ian Wright Wright Wright may have been a late arrival to top-flight football, but when he arrived, he did not waste his opportunity. By the time he called it a day on his playing career, Wright had scored 113 Premier League goals to put him 22nd in the all time list.

The Arsenal forward was simply clinical, whether it be on his right or left foot, inside or outside of the box. Where there was a chance, there was usually a goal for the Gunners legend.

It perhaps isn’t remembered as much as the Invincibles team, but the Gunners did win the Premier League title in the 1997/98 season, with Wright leading the line. That team won the FA Cup too.

In addition to that, Wright won the Cup Winners’ Cup with the Gunners in a trophy-laden spell.

7) Robert Pires 

If there was a prize for elegance on a football pitch, then Robert Pires would be in with every chance of taking that prize.

Prior to that, though, he won Arsenal’s Player of the Season in 2001/02, as he recorded 24 goal involvements in the Premier League in what was an incredible campaign.

Indeed, it was Pires’ poise and panache that played a key role in the Invincibles season, with the Frenchman an irrepressible force.

They struggled to replace him for years after he departed to join Villarreal in 2006, before going on to play for Aston Villa and FC Goa.

6) Tony Adams 

Tony Adams, Mr Arsenal, is perhaps the true definition of perseverance with several setbacks throughout his career, including prison time for a drunk driving offence, before he eventually stepped up to another level under Wenger – as most Arsenal players did.

By the end of his career, Adams had won four league titles, including two Premier Leagues to cement his place amongst the best defenders to ever play for Arsenal.

Indeed, Adams was even named in the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, while winning Arsenal’s Player of the Year award on three occasions.

Now, he is an MBE, cementing his legacy forever.

5) David Seaman

One of the best goalkeepers that the Premier League has ever seen, David Seaman has his place in Arsenal’s history, keeping a total of 218 clean sheets for the North London club, and winning three league titles, four FA Cups, and one League Cup amongst a number of other achievements during his illustrious career between the sticks.

Seaman was the bedrock of achievement for the Gunners, particularly in their early years under the management of Arsene Wenger.

A truly elite ‘keeper who was capable of the impossible – his save against Sheffield United in the FA Cup continues to defy belief – Seaman was also a seasoned international who was England’s No.1 for a number of years.

A true Gunners great.

4) Sol Campbell 

A big part of the Arsenal Invincibles, Sol Campbell’s legacy as a Premier League defender is difficult to match, such was his incredible ability to perform at the greatest levels.

It takes some career for Arsenal fans to discard the fact that a player previously captained Tottenham Hotspur. And, having won two league titles, and three FA Cups, it’s fair to say that Campbell had that necessary career.

He remains a divisive figure when it comes to other supporters, but Arsenal fans will forever hold Campbell in their hearts, if only for the ludicrous amount of anger his move caused.

It helped that he was so good afterwards, too.

3) Patrick Vieira

One of the only players who dared to stand face to face with Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira’s rivalry with his Manchester United counterpart almost summed him up as a player. He had that necessary fire in the earlier days of the Premier League, whilst also possessing that technical elegance.

Simply put, the Arsenal man ticked every single box possibly needed for a midfielder, and more.

Just to look at his trophy list is to see a player who has been there and done it all: at Arsenal, he won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.

A staggering player with a staggering career.

2) Dennis Bergkamp 

When we think of Dennis Bergkamp, we instantly think of THAT goal against Newcastle United. To this day, we haven’t seen that flick attempted with success again.

And, yes, we are very much in the ‘he meant it’ corner of this debate. Bergkamp was simply too good to pull something out of that calibre by accident. Everything he did in an Arsenal shirt was always so expertly measured.

Indeed, he won three Premier League titles, multiple FA Cups, and went within 90 minutes of winning the Champions League.

He was both one of their best creators and their best finisher.

1) Thierry Henry 

He was always going to be at the top of this list, wasn’t he? One of the best players of all time, not just at Arsenal, or in the Premier League, Thierry Henry never ceased to amaze fans. Whether it be his vintage no-look pass, or his incredible volley against Manchester United, it’s hard to narrow down our favourite Henry moment. The Frenchman could and did do it all during his playing days.

It feels mad to say that Henry only won the Premier League twice, and that he only won the FA Cup twice, before moving to win the Champions League with Barcelona.

A giant of the game, Henry feels like he should be a multiple-time cup winner, and his trophies do not match his impact in north London.

Quite simply, he might well be the greatest player ever to pull on the famous red shirt.

So, there you have it, our list of Arsenal’s greatest players of the Premier League era. These are the idols of the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli; the players that Arteta will be hoping to see emulated whilst in the technical area. If any current player even gets close to the levels of Henry in the next few years, then, all of a sudden, the Gunners could be back competing at Europe’s top table.

Things are looking up at The Emirates, as if the process has somewhat sped up in the last year or so. And, with that, it would come as little surprise if we’re talking about a new batch of Arsenal icons in a decade’s time.

Tottenham Hotspur right wing-back Emerson Royal has left TalkSport pundit Jamie O’Hara stunned by his recent turn of form in north London.

What’s happened to Emerson Royal?

The Brazilian’s time at Tottenham has certainly come with a lot of scrutiny from the Spurs fans who have voiced their frustrations towards the 24-year-old.

However, he has suddenly made a huge U-turn in form which has seen him become a regular in the starting XI despite the big-money signing of Pedro Porro in January.

And his upturn in form of late was summed up on Sunday when he provided the Lilywhites with the opening goal against West Ham United.

Speaking on TalkSport on Monday morning, O’Hara shared his disbelief at what he has seen from the Brazilian in recent weeks in the Spurs side:

“Emerson Royal, all of a sudden, looks like prime Cafu. I mean I don’t know what’s happened to him, but Pedro Porro’s come in and it’s obviously given him a kick up the backside that he needed because he was fantastic again yesterday, and sometimes players need that bit of competition.”

When will Pedro Porro play?

Over the January window, Spurs offloaded Djed Spence on loan and Matt Doherty permanently with right wing-back clearly a position for real improvement.

And it seemed as the Lilywhites had found the man to come in and provide that change with Porro who arrived from Sporting CP in a deal believed to be worth in the region of £44m.

However, since arriving, Porro has only played 75 minutes of football with three appearances on the bench whilst Emerson starts for the Londoners.

It is not exactly surprising Spurs fans were voicing their frustrations towards Emerson earlier in the season with the Brazilian not exactly showing much to suggest he was good enough to play at wing-back.

Prior to the game last month against Manchester City, the 24-year-old had only provided the Lilywhites with one assist for the season (via Transfermarkt).

Yet in his last four Premier League starts, the Brazilian has scored two goals against City and West Ham on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Porro’s debut was far from impressive with the Spanish wing-back slammed for his 75-minute display in the game against Leicester City.

However, we saw on Sunday against the Hammers that Spurs are rotating players with Ivan Perisic rested as Ben Davies played at left wing-back on Sunday.

Ad having spent so much money on Porro there will surely be an urge not to leave him on the bench for too long.

But when Emerson is showing such impressive form, it does leave Cristian Stellini with. tough decision to make at right wing-back.

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has come under fire from former Toffees man Martin Keown for his attitude towards his teammates on the pitch.

The Lowdown: Pickford staying at Everton

Pickford made headlines earlier this week after agreeing a new deal at Goodison Park – though some of the reaction to his contract extension saw the 28-year-old’s ambition come into question.

The England No 1’s four-year deal means he will take his stay at Everton to 10 years, though having joined from Sunderland in 2017, his club career has been dominated by relegation battles, with the Toffees at the lower end of the Premier League table in recent years.

And despite vowing to ‘build a legacy’ similar to that of club legend Neville Southall, it is a certain aspect of his performances that has annoyed TalkSport pundit and ex-Everton ace Keown the most.

The Latest: Keown would hate playing with Pickford at Goodison Park

Speaking on TalkSport, while Keown insisted that Pickford’s extension is a positive sign for the club, he decided to use the opportunity to pick on a specific quirk of the goalkeeper’s game.

He said: “This is really good news to get him to sign a new deal, but he looks almost offended when the opposition have a shot.

“I find that quite tricky to deal with. He’d make me particularly angry as a player, as a central defender.”

The Lowdown: Pickford is England No 1 for a reason

Keown had previously been asked whether he felt Pickford was the best goalkeeper in the country, which perhaps makes his comment somewhat more relevant.

However, we don’t see his displays of anger as a problem nor as an indication of Pickford’s ability.

Despite their struggles this term, Everton headed into the weekend with the fourth-best defence outside the so-called ‘big six’ based on goals conceded, having let in five fewer than Tottenham Hotspur. Therefore, Pickford – and his defenders – must be doing a lot of things right.

That said, having just five clean sheets to his name prior to their clash against Aston Villa must be a source of frustration for the World Cup semi-finalist, particularly given the relatively impressive rate at which they have kept the opposition out this season.

We would think that Pickford’s attitude – which is hardly a newfound thing – is simply in his nature, and that if Keown was playing alongside him, he’d get used to it before too long.

Luckily for the two-time Premier League winner, their careers at Goodison Park were some 24 years apart, and we imagine Pickford to be a totally different player from the more mild-mannered David Seaman.

Hopefully, Pickford will allow Everton’s success to do the talking for him in the years to come.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is seemingly targetting a new centre-forward addition ahead of the summer transfer window, with the Dutchman seeking to acquire a long-term solution in that role having allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to depart back in November.

Amid that search for a quality number nine, the Old Trafford outfit may well be regretting missing out on a player who is currently thriving in the Premier League in the form of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson.

As the 18-year-old himself recently revealed, the teenager had previously been on trial with the Red Devils – among others – before ultimately opting to join the Seagulls from Bohemians in January 2021, having stated:

“I have been on a trial to a few clubs but that [Liverpool] was the main one [other than Brighton]. I was on trial with Manchester United, Celtic, and Everton. I think from the outside it was obvious to see that [pathway] and most of the managers here have given chances to young players.”

The young Irishman has been justified in his decision to make the move to the Amex after swiftly forcing his way into the first-team reckoning, having perhaps been unable to see a pathway at United, as the club continually recruited more experienced, striking options, such as Edinson Cavani and the aforementioned Ronaldo.

Although it is still early days with regards to the 6 foot 2 sensation’s time in the top-flight, the senior Republic of Ireland international is already showcasing his quality for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, hence leaving those at the Theatre of Dreams – as well as the other named suitors – to regret their previous failure to sign him.

How is Evan Ferguson performing at Brighton?

The towering starlet has made a strong impression in recent months having already scored three goals and provided two assists in just seven Premier League appearances this season, having also provided a further goal and assist in the League Cup earlier in the campaign.

That hot streak has been a continuation of the form that Ferguson had shown at youth level after bagging 18 goals in only 39 games for Brighton’s U21 side, including five goals in just six Premier League 2 outings at the start of the season.

The exciting prospect was notably lauded after scoring against Leicester City at the end of last month, with Sky Sports pundit Tim Sherwood describing his finish as like watching Newcastle United legend “Alan Shearer in his pomp”.

To be likened to the leading scorer in Premier League history is some feat indeed, with the young, “goalscoring machine” – as previously described by ex-League of Ireland player Alan Mathews – looking set for a bright future in the game.

With United having famously missed out on Shearer during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at the helm, it would be a real source of frustration if the club have missed their chance to land his heir apparent, particularly with the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur now circling for the teen’s signature.

It is not out of the question that Ten Hag and co could emerge as a possible suitor later down the line, although even then it would likely require a hefty fee to sign a player who they previously had on trial.

In a poor season for Chelsea, one bright spark has been the emergence of Lewis Hall, with the 18-year-old seemingly set for a promising future at Stamford Bridge.

The teenage defender will not have to look far back for his inspiration at Stamford Bridge, with Ashley Cole establishing himself as one of the best left-backs in the world during his time with the Blues.

Who is Chelsea starlet Lewis Hall?

Despite only turning 18 last year, Hall already has eight appearances for Chelsea under his belt, having made his debut in the FA Cup win against Plymouth Argyle last season, where he also managed an assist in an impressive first outing for the senior side.

He has gone on to feature five times in the Premier League this season and twice more in the cup, so he is clearly in Graham Potter’s long-term plans at Stamford Bridge.

The return of Ben Chilwell from injury has meant that the young defender has been featuring more regularly for the U21s in recent weeks, with the former Leicester man competing with Marc Cucurella for a starting spot in Potter’s first team.

However, it seems clear that Hall is already far too good to be playing in the Premier League 2, as he has three goals and four assists in just 13 appearances in that competition so far this season.

The 18-year-old also looks to be incredibly versatile, as he has featured across the defence and midfield during his time at Chelsea, even featuring as an attacking midfielder and left winger on occasion.

In true Cole-like fashion, his attacking qualities are clear to see, as he has seven goals and seven assists in just 34 appearances for the U21s, with all the signs suggesting that he could make it as a first-team regular in the future.

Potter was full of praise for the youngster after his performance in the 2-0 defeat by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.

He said: “I really enjoyed his performance. He took responsibility, took the ball in tight areas, attacked the box, and could’ve scored a couple of goals on another day. So it was a really nice performance, a mature performance I thought. He is a quiet lad but goes about his work. I’ve been really impressed with him.”

Hall has also caught the eye of club legend John Terry with his performance in that game, with the former centre-back complimenting his display on Twitter.

If the teenager can live up to his potential at Stamford Bridge, there seems no reason why he can’t become a mainstay on the left, as Cole did, following in the footsteps of a player who would win the Champions League, Europa League and Premier League during his time at Chelsea.

The Englishman made 337 appearances for the Blues, contributing seven goals and 37 assists in that time, and will rightly be regarded as one of the best left-backs in history.

While Hall’s versatility suggests he could feature in a number of positions for Chelsea in the future, his promising displays as a left-back thus far suggest that he is aiming to emulate Cole’s legacy at Stamford Bridge.

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Adama Traore ‘has his eye’ on an exit this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Contrasting claims

The Spaniard’s contract is set to expire at the end of the Premier League season, and his future still remains uncertain following a mixture of reports stating different things.

The Athletic’s Steve Madeley recently claimed that while the 27-year-old isn’t currently holding any active extension talks he could still put pen to paper with an improvement to life under Julen Lopetegui.

However, February reports suggested that the winger was in fact close to agreeing a deal to join Napoli, and a definitive update on his future has now been provided.

The Latest: Jones’ verdict

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones insisted that Wolves would happily offer Traore a fresh deal but stated he is already considering his options elsewhere:

“Wolves would give Traore a new contract tomorrow if he wanted to stay. They would give him a big deal, no problem.

“But the fact a deal hasn’t been signed yet tells you everything you need to know and that’s that he has his eye on a transfer.”

The Verdict: Don’t let him go

Traore has been dubbed a ‘monster’ by Barcelona manager Xavi and it’s important that Wolves don’t let him leave in the summer should no potential suitor knock at his door.

The Midlands attacker has provided 19 assists and scored 14 goals since arriving at Molineux and proves to be a constant threat with his pace and physical strength (Transfermarkt).

Lopetegui’s speedster also ranks in the 97th percentile for most progressive carries and the 96th for aerial wins, showing that he can still be a long ball target despite not being the tallest of forwards (FBRef).

Finally, Traore has been played in seven different positions throughout his career, so offers excellent versatility should the boss ever want or need to switch things up on the field.

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up a potential move for Wolves central midfielder Ruben Neves in the summer.

The Lowdown: Familiar face…

Neves has played Newcastle nine times in his career so far, winning two of them, drawing six and losing just once, which came in Wolves’ 2-1 loss at St. James’ Park last weekend.

Despite the defeat, Neves was a standout performer on the pitch, as he managed a 100% dribble and long ball success, while no other player could match his impressive 97% pass accuracy (SofaScore).

He also scored in the 1-1 draw at Molineux earlier on in the season, and has proved to be a formidable foe for the North East club while he has been playing in the Premier League.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

Co-writing in his latest piece for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey says that the Tynesiders are just one of a number of clubs in the Premier League who have ‘asked to be kept informed’ of Neves’ situation at Wolves, along with both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

Both FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are also thought to be ‘watching’ him, but the Wanderers are set to offer him a new long-term contract, with only 16 months left on his current deal.

However, Neves’ agent Jorge Mendes has made it clear to a number of suitors that his client is prepared to leave Molineux in the summer, regardless of any potential offer on the table.

The Verdict: No-brainer

It is a no-brainer for the Magpies to sign a player of Neves’ quality in the summer, should he become available.

His Wolves team-mate Hugo Bueno holds him in high regard, hailing him as an ‘incredible player’ and praising his shooting ability in particular:

“He does those things every day in training, so I wasn’t surprised. I have seen him do that loads of times.

“He has incredible shooting. I am really happy for him for the goal, and for the team because it was a really important goal for us.“He always runs the whole pitch and he’s always there. I don’t know how he does it. He is a key player for us. He works very, very hard to win the ball back and also when we have the ball he can control in the game.“He is an incredible player and hopefully he can give us more things like this in the future.”Indeed, Neves ranks in the 89th percentile for total shots per game of all midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, as well as in the top 25% for a number of other key metrics (FBRef).Nonetheless, given his top-flight experience, the Portugal international would be a shrewd buy this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to move on from their club captain Hugo Lloris in the coming months when the summer transfer window opens.

How long does Hugo Lloris have left on his contract?

Ahead of the summer, Lloris is set to run into the final year of his contract in north London having signed an extension in the early stages of last year.

However, there is now a belief that this upcoming transfer window will be the one where Spurs look to permanently replace the Frenchman.

It has not been the easiest campaign for Lloris, who has been sidelined for a significant chunk of time now having picked up a muscle injury earlier in the year.

But speaking on the Last Word On Spurs YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has claimed the club are keen to move on from the 36-year-old goalkeeper now:

"Certainly, I know that the aim is to bring in his long-term successor this summer. But it'd be interesting to see whether that is straight away.

"But if I'm a goalkeeper coming in, how are you going to convince me to spend a season maybe shadowing Hugo Lloris?

"I can't really see that, and I think logically, it would suggest that it comes to a head this summer and maybe he does head off."

Who should replace Lloris?

There have been a number of replacements touted as potential options for Spurs with most of them coming from inside the Premier League.

The likes of Jordan Pickford, David Raya and Robert Sanchez have all been suggested by Gold in the past as possible options for the north London side.

Brentford's Raya, for example, has racked up the most saves (108) of any goalkeeper in the Premier League with Pickford (93) not too far behind him.

And they will all have Premier League experience which may encourage those at Spurs and provide them with more confidence over their suitability for the role in north London.

However, Lloris arrived at Spurs with no experience in England and has gone on to be an excellent servant for the club.

Spurs have also been linked by Gold with potential interest in AC Milan's Mike Maignan and they have seen first-hand just what the Frenchman could offer them.

The 27-year-old made three saves and had more touches of the ball than Harry Kane as he left the Italian side to a clean sheet in north London (via Sofascore).

There are certainly plenty of options available for Spurs, however, it seems as if they could well be fighting alongside the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to find their next number one.

Although it has not been Lloris' best season, the task of finding a replacement for the £100k-per-week ace won't be easy and Spurs will certainly be hoping to find another servant who is good enough to offer 10+ years between the sticks.

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min has now departed the country to join up with South Korea and new manager Jurgen Klinsmann in the latest international break – and has spoken in glowing terms of the German.

What has Son Heung-min said?

There is currently an ongoing decision to be made in north London over the future of their manager which could see Son return to N17 without Antonio Conte at the helm.

It is believed Ryan Mason could take on the role of interim manager until the end of the 2022/23 campaign with 10 games remaining in the Premier League.

And he is set to meet his new international manager with the former Spurs forward, Klinsmann, taking the role with the South Korean national side.

Speaking to the media ahead of their upcoming games, the 30-year-old revealed some inside Spurs have told him what he can expect from his new manager of the national side:

“At Tottenham, we still have people who spent time with coach Klinsmann back in his playing days and he has such as sterling reputation," he said.

"I have only had brief conversations with him, but I could already tell he was a great man who cares so much about players. Tottenham officials told me we have an exceptional coach for South Korea and that only raised my expectations.”

Would Son also benefit from a new Spurs manager?

The 2022/23 campaign has been an incredibly underwhelming one for the South Korean, who came into the season on the back of a Golden Boot-winning 2021/22 term.

In the Premier League, the 30-year-old has only been able to provide a return of six goals and four assists across his 26 appearances (via Transfermarkt).

But what has changed over the space of the summer to see Son decline so quickly?

Last season, Son had the likes of Ryan Sessegnon and Sergio Reguilon playing at left wing-back and was able to provide a stunning return of 23 goals in the league alone (via Transfermarkt).

However, this season has seen Conte bring in veteran Ivan Perisic, who was intended to bring a bigger attacking threat to Spurs from the left wing-back spot.

And this has led some to come to the potential conclusion that the Croatian's presence higher up the field could well have had an effect on the South Korean.

Perisic has not started in the last two Premier League games and this has seen Son provide a return of a goal and an assist.

It is believed the Italian is the man who pushed for Perisic's arrival, so with this in mind, perhaps a change of manager could see Perisic's role in the side reduce and Son return to his best form.

Tottenham Hotspur have found themselves linked to a whole host of potential replacements for Antonio Conte, remarkably before the Italian has even been sacked

With his contract due to expire at the conclusion of this season, it seems a fresh start is destined in north London whether it be now or in a few months' time.

It was his recent outburst that truly kick started the rumour mill, as it became a foregone conclusion that the Italian would soon be dismissed after his scathing attack on the history of the club and its ownership.

However, he remains in a job whilst one of the favourites has seemingly been taken away, as Bayern Munich seem poised to appoint Thomas Tuchel.

This may seem like a blow had they been interested, as the ex-Chelsea boss could have offered them the solidity they needed, but it does propose a new interesting option for chairman Daniel Levy to explore.

With his impeding arrival at the Bavarians, it now frees up a top young European coach in Julian Nagelsmann, who has catapulted to the front of the list.

Would Julian Nagelsmann join Spurs?

It was very recently suggested by Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth that immediately the 38-year-old had become a great option for the north London club to explore, as he wrote on Twitter:

"Tottenham assessing manager options if Conte leaves. Keeping an eye on Nagelsmann – tried to get him twice before. Not clear if he wants a job immediately or wait until summer."

The urgency with which the German champions have acted has uncovered a hugely attractive proposition for Levy, to perhaps invest in his own long-term coach who could emulate Manchester City's dynasty under Pep Guardiola.

Widely recognised as one of the greatest tacticians within the game, the Spaniard is always keen to spring a surprise with regard to team selection or differing roles for his personnel. This is a trait that has made him one of the greatest, and one he also shares with Nagelsmann.

This season the German has operated largely without a striker, given Robert Lewandowski's departure in the summer; a feat which Guardiola too accomplished with his side.

Not only this, Lutz Pfannenstiel, who worked with the highly-rated coach at Hoffenheim, has suggested that he could even be better than the former Barcelona boss:

"Julian is a driven man, a perfectionist. He can't lose.

"Julian is even better than Pep Guardiola when it comes to reading the opponents' style of play and adjusting the tactics accordingly during a game. Pep is someone who analyses a lot and then makes a decision. With Julian, the analysis runs parallel to the observation. We're talking about a very small window of time, but it can be crucial.

“Incidentally, this is not a talent, but a gift. I've met a lot of coaches, but Julian has this quality exclusively. It is unique."

His qualities have even led analyst Jon Mackenzie to compare his feats to a biblical phrase, as someone capable of "putting new wine in old wineskins".

It is this kind of upheaval that is needed at Spurs too, alongside changes of biblical proportions. Nagelsmann has come from nowhere to announce himself as arguably the perfect man for the job.