Tottenham Hotspur maintained their bid for Champions League qualification with a last-gasp win at home to Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend, with summer signing Brennan Johnson lashing home at the back post in the sixth minute of stoppage time to grab all three points.
That crucial victory also marked the welcome return of influential captain, Heung-min Son off the bench, the South Korean star making his return to action after enduring Asian Cup disappointment in Qatar.
While Spurs have performed admirably in the 31-year-old's absence, the north Londoners are undoubtedly a better team with him in it, showcased by the fact that it was Son who teed up Johnson for the game's decisive goal.
Now firmly out of Harry Kane's shadow, the former Bayer Leverkusen man leads the way for his side this season with 12 Premier League goals, while his latest contribution also ensures that he now has six assists to boot in the top-flight.
Such devastating form has once again illustrated just how lucky the club are to have the wing wizard on their books, with it likely to be a case of when and not if the forward pens a new deal, with just over a year left on his existing contract.
Although there is currently no need to think about replacing the £190k-per-week marksman due to his continued heroics, it may be wise for Ange Postecoglou and co to have a succession plan in place, if and when Son does eventually depart or see his form begin to dwindle.
Players who could replace Son at Spurs
In his absence while on international duty, the one-time Hamburg man saw his left-wing berth taken up by January arrival, Timo Werner, with the former Chelsea flop making a solid start with two assists from his first four league outings for the club.
With Spurs having the option to make the German's loan deal permanent for just £15m this summer, it looks as if the 27-year-old will be part of Postecoglou's plans over the next few years – unless something goes drastically wrong over the next few months.
Whether the RB Leipzig man is of the desired quality to eventually fill Sons shoes on a long-term basis is another matter, however, with the Lilywhites likely to be wary of his dismal stint at Stamford Bridge, in which he scored just ten league goals in two seasons.
With alternatives such as Manor Solomon having been hampered by injury – and with both Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson typically featuring off the right flank – Postecoglou may have to search elsewhere to find a suitable successor to Son.
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Of course, future transfer windows could aid in that pursuit, although there is perhaps a chance to look closer to home, with academy sensation Yago Santiago seemingly deserving an opportunity to impress at first-team level before too long.
Yago Santiago's style of play
The former Celta Vigo youth star – who arrived in England from his hometown club back in 2019 – has operated in a variety of attacking roles during his time in north London, albeit while typically thriving off the left flank this season.
The 20-year-old has been dubbed the 'total footballer' by reports in Spain of late, with the Galicia Press suggesting that he is getting 'closer and closer' to making his senior bow under Postecoglou, having been named on the bench in the Premier League and FA Cup this season.
With academy colleague Jamie Donley having already been handed a handful of brief cameos in recent times in the senior set-up, Santiago could well follow the England youth star, having become hard to ignore with 15 goals and eight assists in 63 games for the club's U23 side.
A talent with a "really bright future" at the club – in the words of Tottenham presenter Matt Tarr – the silky Spaniard has received glowing reports over recent seasons, with superhotspur hailing him as looking 'effortless with the ball at his feet' as he is 'so composed'.
As per the same source, the promising wideman – who previously trained with the first-team during Antonio Conte's stint in charge – has particularly impressed due to 'his pace and running in behind the defence', ensuring he could fit in smoothly to Postecoglou's approach.
Yago Santiago's season in numbers
Now on the cusp of the first-team, Santiago is doing all he can to catch the eye of the former Celtic boss amid his dazzling displays at youth level, having chipped in with six goals and four assists in just nine Premier League 2 appearances in 2023/24.
A right-footer like Son who seeks to cut in from the left, the Vigo native also caught the eye against senior opposition in this season's EFL Trophy, playing the full 90 minutes against both Colchester United and Peterborough.
Despite not scoring in those two outings, the future Spurs star did still impress having averaged three key passes per game as a marker of his creative prowess, with Son, for instance, averaging just 1.8 in that regard in the top-flight – albeit across 21 games.
Equally, what also sets Santiago apart is his 'excellent' work rate – as noted by superhotspur – having averaged 2.5 interceptions and two tackles per game in the competition, while also averaging seven balls recovered per game.
2 games (2 starts)
3 key passes per game
87% pass accuracy rate
2.5 interceptions per game
2 tackles per game
7 balls recovered per game
2 successful dribbles per game
Stats via Sofascore
With two successful dribbles per game also under his belt, the emerging sensation appears to have it all in his locker, with it hopefully just a matter of time before this young diamond can sparkle in the senior ranks.
There may be a long way to go before he is rivalling the likes of Werner and Son, but all the signs point to a player who supporters can fall in love as the South Korean's dream successor.