Tottenham Hotspur landed a terrific creative midfielder last summer when they decided to swoop for impressive England international James Maddison.
The dynamic number ten had been relegated to the Championship with Leicester City and Spurs took advantage of that to secure a deal for his services ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Ange Postecoglou has got him firing in the Premier League this season with a return of three goals, six assists, and seven 'big chances' created in 14 appearances so far.
The former Norwich City starlet has finally filled the creative void that has been there since Christian Eriksen left the club to join Italian giants Inter in January 2020.
Spurs did, however, come close to signing a perfect replacement for the Denmark international shortly before his official departure from North London, as they fumbled a swoop for Bruno Fernandes.
When Spurs almost signed Bruno Fernandes
The Lilywhites identified the Portuguese dynamo as a target to bolster their options in midfield during the summer of 2019 and made a bid for his services.
Sporting president Frederico Varandas confirmed that Tottenham came in with an offer for the impressive dynamo but it was not enough to convince them to part ways with their star player.
He claimed that the English side submitted a bid of €65m (£55m) but that €20m of that came as add-ons, which would only be activated if Spurs won the Premier League and the Champions League.
Varandas, who was well within his right to do so, believed that these add-ons were too difficult to achieve and, as a result, decided to reject the offer.
The Standard, who covered the Sporting chief's comments, added that Spurs were looking at Fernandes as Eriksen's future at the club was uncertain at that time.
Although the Denmark international stayed at the club for another five months in the end, Daniel Levy fumbled the perfect replacement for the former Ajax star.
Eriksen departed in January of that season and it took Spurs over three years to find another mercurial playmaker to spearhead their midfield in the form of Maddison.
Meanwhile, Fernandes has gone on to become a star in the Premier League for another team and, arguably, better than the Danish maestro.
Bruno Fernandes' Premier League emergence
The Portugal international finally earned his move to the English top-flight in January 2020, the same window Eriksen moved to Inter, as Manchester United snapped him up from Sporting.
Sky Sports reported that the Red Devils agreed a £46.6m deal that could rise to £68m including add-ons, which suggests that they offered the Portuguese side more realistic add-ons to make the move worthwhile for Varandas.
Since his move to Old Trafford, Fernandes has emerged as a star in the Premier League with his outstanding performances as both a scorer and a creator of goals from an attacking midfield position.
Like Eriksen, the 29-year-old maestro is not blessed with phenomenal pace or impressive physicality but he has the technical ability to consistently punish teams in the final third.
In four years at United so far, Fernandes has racked up an eye-catching 47 goals and 37 assists in 147 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils. That is a return of one goal contribution every 1.75 games on average, which speaks to how consistent he has been at the top end of the pitch.
Interestingly, the experienced whiz has produced a staggering 48.4 Expected Assists (xA) in the top-flight during that period, which suggests that his teammates have let him down at times in front of goal with their wasteful finishing.
Had his fellow attackers performed as expected, the United star would have 48 assists to go along with his 47 goals, and that would be a return of one goal or assist every 1.55 outings on average.
Appearances
23
Goals
Three
Assists
Five
Big chances created
12
Key passes per game
3.1
Stats via Sofascore
Fernandes, who was once hailed as "sensational" by Red Devils legend Paul Scholes, has been in impressive form for the club so far in the Premier League this season, as you can see in the table above with his constant creativity.
Overall, it is clear to see that the former Sporting magician has taken the Premier League by storm over the last four years and been a huge success for United, with his ability to score goals and create chances at an exceptional rate.
Christian Eriksen's Premier League career
You could argue that Fernandes has forged a more impressive career in the top-flight of English football than the man he could have once replaced at Spurs, and is now teammates with at Old Trafford.
Eriksen has made 280 appearances in the Premier League throughout his time in England with Tottenham, Brentford, and Manchester United, and contributed with 54 goals and 80 assists.
That is a return of one goal or assist every 2.09 matches on average across those three spells, which means that he has provided quality in the final third less frequently than Fernandes has during his career in the division.
Interestingly, Eriksen has produced 59.12 xA in the Premier League since the start of the 2014/15 campaign and been rewarded with 71 assists, having registered nine assists and seven goals in 25 games in the 2013/14 season.
Had his teammates performed as expected in front of goal, the Danish gem would have 54 goals and 59 assists in 255 games in the league since the summer of 2014, which is one goal contribution every 2.26 appearances on average.
Appearances
15
Goals
One
Assists
One
Big chances created
One
Key passes per game
0.9
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 32-year-old gem has struggled to make a consistent impact as a scorer or a creator for United in the division so far this season, as Fernandes has established himself as the main man for United in that regard.
In conclusion, Spurs made a huge blunder in the summer of 2019 when they failed to present Sporting with a worthwhile offer that included realistic add-ons, and the Red Devils have benefitted from their mistake.
Tottenham could have signed a dream replacement and, based on their respective statistics, a big upgrade on Eriksen had they signed the gem, who is now a £68m-rated Premier League star.