, a £47.5m deadline day signing from Nottingham Forest, who was a priority target for Postecoglou. The 22-year-old’s underlying data last season was largely underwhelming, but Postecoglou felt as though the versatile forward’s pace and directness would add another dimension to his squad. The club duly went and bought him.
Spurs will hope Johnson is another recruitment success story. Vicario and Micky van de Ven have impressed in defence, while Maddison has been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award. Destiny Udogie has been a revelation at left-back, after returning from a loan spell at Udinese. Of the 11 starters at Burnley, 10 have joined the club in the past two years.
The decision to offload Sanchez after the English transfer window is undoubtedly a risk, but there is little point in embracing a new era half-heartedly; Sanchez’s shakiness in possession made him a poor fit for a team that wants to play out from the back. Postegocoglou has hinted that Ashley Phillips, the 18-year-old signed from Blackburn, will be trusted to step up. It is unlikely his predecessor would have taken that stance.