Tottenham Hotspur were dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester City on Friday night as Nathan Ake's controversial late goal secured the win for the visitors.
Ruben Dias blocks on Guglielmo Vicario went unpunished and that allowed the Dutch central defender to prod the ball into the back of the net from close range.
There were positives to come out of the match for Ange Postecoglou, though, and one of them was the return of James Maddison, who came off the bench during the second half, from injury.
The England international made his first competitive appearance for Spurs since the 6th of November, against Chelsea in the Premier League.
He has been a terrific addition since his summer switch from Leicester City as an outstanding creative force in the middle of the park for Tottenham.
Daniel Levy and Postecoglou could provide the English wizard with another quality operator to create chances for if they are able to land another striker to the squad before the deadline passes on Thursday this week.
Tottenham's search for a striker
One exciting marksman who has been linked with a possible move to North London is Besiktas and Turkey U19 number nine Semih Kilicsoy
Turkish outlet Fanatik reported earlier this month that Spurs are one of a number of clubs keeping tabs on the talented young centre-forward.
The outlet stated that Aston Villa, Borussia Dortmund, and Napoli are also monitoring the 18-year-old attacker as they eye up a possible swoop for his services.
They claimed that scouts from several European sides came to watch the promising talent in action in January, with the teenage whiz breaking into the first-team squad with the Turkish giants this season.
According to Milliyet, via TurkishNewsWorld, Besiktas will demand a fee of at least €25m (£21m) from any of the interested parties to part ways with Kilicsoy this month.
This would be a club-record departure for the Super Lig side as it would be €2.5m more than the €22.5m they received from Premier League side Everton back in the summer of 2018.
The report suggests that their staggering valuation of the teenage starlet speaks to how highly they rate him and his potential to improve over the years to come.
It, however, remains to be seen whether Spurs are prepared to go in with an offer for his services during the current window or if they will wait until the summer to make a move. There is also no mention in either of the reports if any sides are willing to meet Besiktas' £21m valuation of the young finisher.
If Levy can secure a deal for Kilicsoy, though, then Tottenham could bring in a lethal partner for Maddison in the final third, based on his impressive form for Besiktas at youth and senior level.
Maddison's immense creativity for Spurs
The 27-year-old magician is a striker's dream because he has the quality and vision to consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates at the top end of the pitch.
A centre-forward playing with Maddison behind them does not have to worry about a lack of service as the attacking midfielder is almost guaranteed to produce an excellent opportunity for them week-in-week-out.
Over the last 365 days, the former Foxes star ranks within the top 2% of his positional peers across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for shot-creating actions (6.43) per 90, and the top 4% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.37) per 90.
This shows that he has been one of the best creative threats in Europe over the past year, for Spurs and Leicester, with his defence-splitting passes to create shooting opportunities for his teammates.
His form in the Premier League for Tottenham this season has been particularly impressive as he ranks within the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers within the division for shot-creating actions (8.17) and progressive passes (9.91) per 90 respectively.
This shows that he has been an outstanding creator for Postecoglou in the English top-flight, which is why he is a dream for strikers to play with.
Appearances
11
Sofascore rating
7.91
Goals
Three
Assists
Five
Big chances created
Six
As you can see from the table above, Maddison offers goals and assists from a number ten position and Kilicsoy, if Spurs win the race for his signature, could love to play alongside him.
Kilicsoy's impressive goal record
The 18-year-old marksman is in the early stages of his career and it would be a gamble for Tottenham to bring him to England as he is yet to prove himself out of his home country.
However, his impressive goal record for Besiktas and Turkey at youth and senior level suggests that he has the potential to be a lethal partner for Maddison, who has the ability to create plenty of chances for the young number nine.
The teenage dynamo, who analyst Ben Mattinson hailed as a "powerful" player, caught the eye for his club's U19 side with a phenomenal return of 42 goals and six assists in 64 appearances from the 2020/21 campaign through to the end of last season.
He has also excelled for Turkey's youth teams with 21 strikes in 27 outings throughout the U14, U15, U17, and U19 age groups for his country.
That staggering form for the academy team earned him a first-team chance with Besiktas and he has grasped that opportunity with both hands this season.
Appearances
Ten
Sofascore rating
7.36
Expected Goals
2.85
Goals
Five
Assists
Two
As you can see from the table above, Kilicsoy, who was described as a "hidden gem" by the aforementioned Mattinson, is a lethal finisher who has more than made the most of the xG that has been created for him.
This suggests that he has the quality to outperform his xG, which is a sign of a clinical goalscorer, and that is why he could be a fantastic partner for Maddison in the final third.
The current Spurs whiz excels at creating high-quality chances – providing his teammates with big xG opportunities – and Kilicsoy could turn those key passes into assists for the England international with his superb finishing, if he can translate his form over to England.
Therefore, they could form a lethal partnership at the top end of the pitch for Spurs and Levy should push to secure a deal for his services either this month or in the summer.