It has yet to be officially confirmed by the club, but Thomas Frank looks set to be Tottenham Hotspur's new manager.

The Danish coach feels like a sensible choice to replace Ange Postecoglou, as since bringing Brentford up to the Premier League, he's proven himself capable of achieving a lot with not much.

So, it's exciting to see what he'll be able to do at one of the wealthiest clubs in the league after what should be a summer with at least a few offensive signings.

That said, reports have recently linked the club to a tremendously promising player who could be the ideal replacement for Cristian Romero, who could be on his way out of the club.

Tottenham eyeing Romero replacement

So, while the exciting rumours have seen Spurs linked with attacking talents like Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo, there have been some worrying reports concerning Romero's future in recent weeks and months.

For example, in early April, the Argentine international was being linked with a move to European royalty Real Madrid.

Then later that month, into May and right up until this week, Atlético Madrid have emerged as the team who seem most intent on signing the World Cup winner for around £60m, and there have even been stories claiming that the players have already spoken with Diego Simeone.

In all, it feels like a distinct possibility that the 27-year-old could leave North London this summer, which might help explain the links to Jarrad Branthwaite.

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Spurs are now 'considering a bold move' for the Everton star this summer.

The story claims that the North Londoners are 'huge fans' of the young Englishman and that Frank sees him as 'a cornerstone for Tottenham's ambitions to compete for Champions League football.'

However, to get their man, the Lilywhites will have to stump up at least £70m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given his ability and potential, it's one Spurs should pursue, especially if Romero leaves.

Why Branthwaite would be an ideal Romero replacement

Now then, the first thing to say, and it's important, is that if this deal were to go through, and Branthwaite was signed to replace Romero, fans should not expect him to come in and be just as good right away.

The Englishman is still just 22 years old, and while he's hugely promising, with respected analyst EBL claiming he "ticks every box," he's not going to be at the level of a seasoned 27-year-old.

With that said, when we take a look at the pair's underlying numbers from this season, the good news is that the Carlisle-born titan doesn't fare too badly at all and actually comes on top in several defensive metrics.

For example, when he ranks higher than the World Cup winner for things like blocks, interceptions, clearances, and the percentage of and outright number of aerial duels won, all per 90.

Moreover, the England U21 star makes fewer errors leading to a shot, miscontrols the ball less, is dispossessed less often, commits fewer fouls and has a higher success rate when tackling opposition players in a dribble, also per 90.

It's not just the statistical side of the game that makes the former Carlisle United gem such an appealing prospect, but also his physicality.

Standing at a massive 6 foot 5, the "ball-playing physical beast," as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, would add some serious heft to the North Londoners' backline that the 6 foot 1 Argentine just doesn't.

Ultimately, while keeping Romero and him staying fit would likely be the best bet for improving Spurs' defence next season, Branthwaite certainly wouldn't be a bad replacement, and if they can get him as well as keeping the Cordoba-born titan, then even better.