The post-Harry Kane world at Tottenham Hotspur looks rather bright at present, with new boss Ange Postecoglou having enjoyed a stellar start to life in the dugout at N17, following his arrival from Celtic earlier in the summer.
A feature of the 58-year-old's early tenure has been the faith he has shown in the club's promising young talents, with Pape Matar Sarr, for instance, having started four Premier League games already this season – notably scoring in the win over Manchester United last month.
Arguably the biggest surprise, however, has been the emergence of 20-year-old, Destiny Udogie, with the exciting Italian having slotted in beautifully after making a belated beginning in north London this summer.
The attacking left-back had spent last back on loan at Udinese after signing from the Serie A side last year, with supporters having been eagerly awaiting the defender's eventual arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since that £15m deal was agreed.
While it is still early days, the Verona-born sensation already looks "sickeningly good" – as per footballJOE's Hunter Godson – with Postecoglou having stumbled upon a potential star in the making in that left-sided berth.
That recent ascension has ensured that long-serving asset, Ben Davies, faces a fight on his hands to force his way back into the side, with the Welshman also likely to be threatened by those who are currently flourishing in the club's academy ranks…
How good is Ben Davies?
Nine years on from joining the Lilywhites from Swansea City, the 30-year-old has undoubtedly been a solid, albeit unspectacular servant for the club in that time, racking up over 300 appearances in all competitions, while contributing 32 goals and assists.
A versatile figure who has featured at left-back, centre-back or as a wing-back, the 80-cap international has certainly had a role to play in some capacity over the years, although finding a place for himself in Postecoglou's side may be a tough ask, amid the move away from Antonio Conte's preferred 3-4-3 formation.
There had even been reports over the summer that Daniel Levy and co were willing to cash in on the defender if a £15m offer was to arrive, with the £80k-per-week player having just two years left to run on his existing deal.
31 games
26 starts
2 goals
2 assists
0.6 interceptions per game
0.9 tackles per game
53% total duels won
6.81 avg. match rating
Stats via Sofascore
Speaking at the time of that report, pundit Gabby Agbonlahor suggested that Spurs should part ways with Davies in a bid to reshuffle the backline, with the full-back having underwhelmed as part of a side that shipped 63 league goals last term:
“I watched him recently and he was so poor on the ball. He’s been at the club a long time and he’s still struggling to put in top performances. They need a real shuffle of that defence. For me, they need two centre-backs and a left-back – because Davies just isn’t good enough any more."
Having potentially found the "upgrade" that they had been craving – as per Agbonlahor – in the form of Udogie, it remains to be seen what lies in store for the Neath native over the next year or so, with Postecoglou evidently keen to oust the experienced, senior players form the club, including the likes of Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
To help usher in the Greek-Aussie's new revolution, the attack-minded coach could then replace Davies with an up-and-coming gem who he can help to nurture and develop as a dream understudy to Udogie, with 18-year-old Jahziah Linton one such talent to keep an eye on.
Who is Jahziah Linton?
As an academy starlet who can operate at both centre-back and in his primary position of left-back, the teenager could well represent a dream successor or replacement to Davies in the backline over the coming years.
Although the London-born sensation is yet to feature at first-team level, it may not be too long before he is making his mark in the senior set-up, having sparkled at U18 level in recent times for the north Londoners.
The emerging ace was only recently handed his first professional contract as a sign of how highly-regarded he is by the club, with the hope being that he can make the leap to becoming a prominent part of Postecoglou's plans in the near future.
On the evidence of his form of late, Spurs appear to have a truly exciting talent on their hands, with podcaster Chris Miller having even suggested back in March that Linton could be a possible "wildcard" option to slot in as a "traditional" left-back, amid the first-team's defensive injury crisis at the time.
With 39 appearances across the age groups thus far – registering one assist – the teen talent may need to prove himself at U21 level before he can be truly considered for a promotion, although club insider superhotspur has previously written glowingly regarding his all-round qualities:
'He works well off the ball, is good in the tackle and is also as previously mentioned, a player who gets in to really good forward positions on the left side of the pitch.'
The respected source also went on to add that 'Jahziah likes to get forward up the pitch on the left flank, and his link-up play with the Spurs winger on that side of the pitch is impressive', while his 'fine balance to his game means that he is very capable of contributing well at both ends of the pitch'.
That promising report appears to indicate that if his recent progress can continue, then a first-team chance may soon emerge for young Linton, even if he has to contend with a player who "gets into nearly every team in the world already", in the form of Udogie – according to Godson.
As for Davies, the Welshman may then have a fight on his hands to continue his stay at N17, with it set to be no surprise if he does follow the likes of Dier and Hojbjerg by being brutally cast aside.