Tottenham Hotspur shifted away from the old managerial strategy and appointed Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou in the summer, with the craggy-faced Australian engineering a welcome resurgence over the first months of the campaign.
It was the best of times down the N17, with the staunch Spurs faithful roaring in adulation as the players – energised by exciting summer signings James Maddison and Micky van de Ven – clicked into gear and launched an unlikely charge to the forefront of the Premier League table.
The dog days appeared to have returned after this period of bliss, with injuries and suspensions ravaging the progress and leaving Tottenham engulfed in a five-match winless run, which was finally ended in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 home victory over Newcastle United.
But the fact that Postecoglou has been forced to contend with a startling lack of defensive cover has hindered the progress, and this has to be the top priority in January.
Tottenham transfer news – Illia Zabarnyi
According to the Mirror, Tottenham have identified Bournemouth centre-back Illia Zabarnyi as the perfect player to strengthen Postecoglou's side's defensive ranks in January.
It's understood that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was interested in signing the player in 2021 following his performances in his Ukrainian homeland with Dynamo Kiev, but the Cherries won the race and snapped him up for £24m in January 2023, when he ultimately felt the time was apt to make the move to the Premier League.
Still only 21-years-old, it's said that Fabio Paratici is a huge admirer of the player with Zabarnyi having impressed with his integration into life on England's south coast. While Bournemouth have paved a solid foundation for his future career, Spurs would only be too happy to swipe the starlet away from the Vitality Stadium.
Illia Zabarnyi's season in numbers
Bournemouth didn't convince all when they decided to sack Gary O'Neil at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after he kept the Cherries afloat, but the appointment of Andoni Iraola was projected to be a progressive and impactful move.
A slow start did little to quell fears that the upheaval might backfire, but with Bournemouth now picking up 13 points from a possible 15 in the league after suffering a 6-1 defeat against Manchester City, sights have been set up the table.
Zabarnyi has been crucial, starting all 16 matches and actually having yet to miss a minute, as per Sofascore, having also completed 82% of his passes, averaged 4.3 ball recoveries and 3.8 clearances per game and 57% of his contested duels.
Bournemouth defeated Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford on a historic afternoon for the club last time out, and Zabarnyi underscored his credentials as a top-class defensive prospect with a commanding display, making five clearances, blocking three shots, and winning two tackles and interceptions apiece.
Much was made for Iraola's side's incisiveness in Manchester, but such feats would have been rendered impossible had the base not done its job and held the squad together.
Illia Zabarnyi's style of play
Zabarnyi still has a long road to travel but he can take much confidence from his exploits across the maiden stage of his career, where he has been described as "composed & intelligent" and "complete & dominant" by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 19% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 10% for blocks per 90, showcasing his ability to progress the play with the ball at his feet and noting his positional security.
Strength
Weakness
Blocking
Passing
*Sourced via WhoScored
Such attributes are not too dissimilar to that of Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, with the world-class Dutchman the player who Zabarnyi has moulded his own game from, as he once stated in an interview.
Physically imposing and strong in the air, the 32-cap international's aerial dominance is something that is not easily replicated, but he has invested time into establishing control in this regard and could grow into a player of first-class stature with a transfer to Tottenham.
It is important to stress again that Zabarnyi is only 21, having already cemented a starring role in an impressive Premier League side; when Van Dijk was the same age, he plied his trade for Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie.
While that is certainly nothing to sniff at, it's an illumination of how much a player will grow, and Spurs might be wise to snap Zabarnyi up before the price tags touted get somewhat exorbitant.
Moulding him into a player of Van Dijk's standing, Postecoglou may well provide his London club with a rock-solid leader in the rearguard to ensure the years come are fruitful, with the Liverpool captain even considered "the best centre-back of all time" by the likes of pundit Michael Owen.
While several erstwhile professionals might have a thing or two to say about that, the £220k-per-week monster has been the heart of Liverpool's backline since signing from Southampton for £75m in December 2020, having now amassed 237 appearances, scoring 20 goals and supplying 14 assists for good measure.
Van Dijk ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for passes attempted, the top 12% for goals, the top 5% for assists and the top 3% for aerial wins per 90.
This season, in the Premier League, he has averaged 4.7 ball recoveries and 4.9 clearances per game, completed 91% of his passes, won 72% of his ground duels and 79% of his aerial duels.
Such statistics underscore the unparalleled calibre of his skill set, and while Zabarnyi has a long way to go before he reaches the same level, he has the talent to shoot right to the top over the coming years.
With a manager such as Postecoglou honing his craft and stars such as Van de Ven and Cristian Romero to absorb knowledge from, this is exactly the kind of move Tottenham need to make to fortify their defensive ranks.