Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu would be starting at centre-back for Tottenham if the club had signed him this summer, according to journalist Paul Brown.
What happened with Tomiyasu this summer?
The Japanese international was linked with a move to Spurs at one stage this summer, with it being reported that they were closing in on securing his signature.
However, after returning from representing his country at the Olympics, he instead moved to Tottenham's biggest rivals, Arsenal, on deadline day for £16m.
The 22-year-old has gone straight into the Gunners' starting line-up as a right-back, and has helped his side keep two clean sheets in their last three league matches.
What has Brown said about Tomiyasu?
While Tomiyasu has made an eye-catching start to life at the Emirates, Tottenham have been struggling at the back in recent weeks.
Nuno Espirito Santo's men have conceded nine goals in their last three games, and their centre-back pairing of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez had a particularly tough time in the north London derby on Sunday as Arsenal cruised to a 3-1 victory.
Following that match, Brown has claimed that Tomiyasu would be flourishing at the heart of Spurs' defence if he had signed for Tottenham in August.
He told GIVEMESPORT: “Frankly, Tomiyasu could get in their back four as a centre-back at the moment at Spurs because Dier and Sanchez were just all over the place. And they have these little spells, those two, where they are all over the place for quote some time. I’m sure if he’d gone to Spurs he’d be in the team and playing, and playing very well.”
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Did Tottenham make a mistake in not signing Tomiyasu?
It's still early days, but right now it looks like Tottenham could have massively benefited from having Tomiyasu in their ranks.
In fairness, Dier and Sanchez did look solid in Spurs' first three games this season, as the team kept successive clean sheets against Manchester City, Wolves and Watford. However, their performances on Sunday were extremely concerning, and will be hard to bounce back from.
Tottenham did bring in a defender at the end of the window, signing Emerson Royal from Barcelona. The Brazilian full-back is taking his time to settle in at the club, though, and is less versatile than Tomiyasu, who can operate in either full-back position or as a centre-back.
Emerson may come good in time, but Spurs need him to step up quickly, as with each passing game it seems that they have missed out on a gem of a player in Tomiyasu.