Ange Postecoglou has plenty of decisions to make as he reshapes Tottenham Hotspur to his philosophy and the engine room of his team is going to be crucial to how his team performs.
The Australian's midfield set-up is well known in what is mostly a fluid 4-3-3 formation. There is one number six pivot midfielder who operates in front of the defence, collecting the ball and spraying it quickly around to those who get further up the pitch.
Then there is mostly two number eights either side of him who work in box-to-box roles in supporting the striker with runs in and around the box, getting involved in the goalscoring. There can at times be one such number eight and another central player who works as a hybrid between the two types of Postecoglou midfielders depending on the opposition.
The one thing Postecoglou does have at Tottenham is an abundance of midfielders to analyse this summer and decide which of them fit into the three high-intensity roles he has on offer.
One midfielder in particular is understood to have caught the 57-year-old's eye quickly and that is Yves Bissouma. The Mali international already has big admirers in Ryan Mason and Matt Wells, who have joined Postecoglou's coaching staff and were taken with Bissouma's ability during their caretaker spell towards the end of the season.
After his return from ankle surgery, the 26-year-old looked more like the Brighton player who dominated matches in past seasons and was one of the Premier League's best midfielders outside the top four. It helped in those final months that he was freed from the sometimes restrictive nature of Antonio Conte's rigid system and Bissouma's performances at the end of the season compared to early in the campaign were like night and day, despite him looking for fitness in those final weeks.
READ MORE: Scott Munn Tottenham start date delayed with Daniel Levy's number two in prolonged City exit
Postecoglou has liked what he's seen of the player so far and Bissouma is clearly all aboard the Australian's train, having been a bubbly, happy and confident returnee during pre-season so far. He will be able to fit into a number of the different roles in the new head coach's midfield, having excelled as a number six under Graham Potter at Brighton but having also operated as an number eight at times for the south coast club.
That was his shirt number with the Seagulls and he may well decide to grab it now that Harry Winks has relinquished it with his move to Leicester.
Another key player for Postecoglou next season is going to be Rodrigo Bentancur. Also 26, the Uruguayan proved to be match winner for Spurs with seven goal involvements in 18 Premier League games last season (five goals and two assists) as well as another big goal in the Champions League against Sporting.
Then came that ruptured cruciate ligament at Leicester in mid-February which ended his season and many correctly believed at the time Tottenham's hopes of finishing in the top four.
Bentancur has been at Hotspur Way in recent weeks undergoing his rehabilitation and meeting his new boss. Last month the Uruguayan said that he hopes that "in two or three months to be at least gaining a few minutes again". That timeline would see him return in September or October but Spurs and Postecoglou will have to take it cautiously and try to restrain at first a player who gives everything from the first minute until the last.
When he is back in the groove, Bentancur can either operate as that number six in front of the defence with his ability on the ball and his confidence in tight situations, but equally with his newly-found goal threat so he could be used in the number eight or hybrid role.
The £40million arrival of James Maddison provides a piece of the Postecoglou puzzle that fits perfectly into the midfield and the former Leicester man, as long as he steers clear of injury himself, can bring the goals and assists required. There have been some suggestions that Dejan Kulusevski could also be utilised as a number eight at times as well as in his usual right wing role, with the Swede having previously told football.london that his favourite position is centrally as a number 10.
One senior regular from last season who does not fit as well into the Postecoglou system is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The Dane is less of a natural pivot player and despite a vastly improved attacking output last season with five goals and seven assists, is not particularly a number eight. He could play the hybrid box-to-box role though against certain opposition.
However, this feels like a time when a parting of the ways might suit all parties. With interest from Spain and Germany, including from Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, Hojbjerg is understood to be open to a move to play for a club in the Champions League.
With two years left on the five-year contract the 27-year-old signed when he joined Spurs in 2020, it is the north London club's last chance to get a good fee for him and the Denmark international will only be available to clubs for a much higher fee than the £15million he arrived for that year from Southampton.
Hojbjerg has a mixed relationship with the Tottenham fanbase, some rating his leadership and drive on the pitch while others see him as a jack of all trades but master of none.
It is worth noting that with captain Hugo Lloris and Hojbjerg tipped to depart this summer, Harry Kane constantly linked with Bayern Munich and Eric Dier keen to stay but also in the final 12 months of his contract, much of the club's leadership group is closer to the exit door than it is to staying at the club. Others would have to take up the mantle should Lloris and Hojbjerg in particular head off this summer.
Oliver Skipp has been tipped as a future captain and has been groomed for the leadership group, but is yet to become a guaranteed starter.
Regardless of his leadership, if Hojbjerg does leave then Spurs will have to replace him due to Bentancur's absence from the opening months of the campaign.
football.london revealed last month that Tottenham are considering a move for 23-year-old Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher as they seek to further boost their homegrown numbers following the arrival of Maddison.
The Blues are expected to listen to offers for the England international, who has two years left on his contract, and his ability to operate in various midfield roles, defensive and attacking, will appeal to Postecoglou.
Others will be looked at as potential options should Hojbjerg move on, and there may be the temptation to bring in an experienced head from Europe to replace the Dane's lost leadership.
Spurs have their own young options with growing experience in Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr. Bentancur's injury handed 22-year-old Skipp with the chance to make 31 appearances last season, starting every Premier League game after the Uruguayan departed the scene.
Skipp is currently on international duty as England U21s have reached the European U21 Championship final on Saturday against Spain and he faces the decision of whether to take his full contracted three weeks of rest after the tournament and return following the club's tour to Australia and Asia or return earlier in order to impress Postecoglou.
Skipp is being tipped to do well under the new Spurs boss, thanks to his work rate and tactical intelligence, and he will look to stake his claim for the number six role behind the more attack-minded players.
One such player is Senegal international Pape Matar Sarr, who is set to link up with the squad next week. The 20-year-old made 17 appearances for Spurs in his introductory season in English football but has a wide skillset and confidence with the ball that should see him earn more minutes this campaign.
Postecoglou will have to decide whether that is at Tottenham or on another loan, particularly once Bentancur arrives, but the need for three midfielders in the centre of the pitch does open up more opportunities for game time, despite the lack of European fixtures this season.
Then there are the returning loan players. The interest from clubs in Giovani Lo Celso marks the Argentine out as a likely departure to raise further funds for new arrivals.
However, Postecoglou is expected to take a long look at Tanguy Ndombele this summer to decide whether his Tottenham career can be resuscitated and the Frenchman has been playing a full part in pre-season so far.
The 26-year-old, who won Serie A with Napoli last season coming on mostly as a substitute, will have his first attack-minded manager since Mauricio Pochettino, who pushed for his signing in the summer of 2019. Ndombele's ability on the ball and comfort when being pressed marks him out for a role in the Postecoglou set-up, but only if he can handle the relentless nature of the Australian's football and the need for the midfielders to get up the pitch and track back.
Among the academy players working with the first team this summer, Postecoglou has been looking at 20-year-old defensive midfielder Matthew Craig, now he has committed his future to Spurs. The Scotland U21 international made his Premier League debut in the final match of last season and Nile John, also 20, was handed his own new two-year deal this month.
For the attacking midfield role, 18-year-old Alfie Devine is highly-rated within Tottenham and a decision must be made over how many of those three players will head out on loan to continue their education and how many will provide cover to the first team. Harvey White, 21, has plenty of ability and versatility but needs game time and that could result in a move this summer and attacking midfielder Yago Santiago, who signed a new deal in April, will be looking to impress after a strong season for the U21s.
Postecoglou has plenty of engine room options with the potential for more arrivals this summer and its a department in which the new Spurs boss has plenty of decisions to make.
