Tottenham Hotspur winger Ivan Perisic could help the Premier League club to secure a deal for Josko Gvardiol, according to Frank McAvennie.
The Lowdown: Spurs linked with Gvardiol
The Lilywhites have recently been linked with a move for the RB Leipzig defender, who is currently playing alongside Perisic for Croatia in the World Cup.
Last month, it was reported that Spurs manager Antonio Conte is hoping that Perisic can persuade his compatriot to come to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the near future.
Following this behind-the-scenes claim, it appears that one pundit thinks this could be a big advantage for Spurs.
The Latest: McAvennie on Gvardiol
Speaking to Football Insider, former Celtic striker McAvennie was asked if having someone you already know at a club helps a player to make a decision to join that club.
The 62-year-old replied: "Of course it is. Coming to London from another country, it is good to have somebody there that you can bounce off. I think it is great to help settle in, however good a player you are. And the word is that Gvardiol is phenomenal.
"It does help. They have got to have somebody that can show you the ropes, that can be a good pull.
"If somebody goes to Tottenham it is because of Conte, not for anything else because they are not going to win anything. Having somebody at the club that you know, if you were swithering on it that would pull it."
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The Verdict: A boost for Spurs?
Taking into account what McAvennie said, it seems that Perisic's presence at Tottenham could act as an advantage in their hopes of securing a deal for Gvardiol.
Last season saw the centre-back show how impressive a defender he is, as he ended the Bundesliga campaign with more successful tackles (31) and interceptions (51) than any other player at Leipzig.
He also racked up the second-highest number of clearances (62) and the third-highest number of blocks (30) and made more progressive passes (123) than any of his team-mates.
With all of that in mind, having Perisic as a potential inside man could end up being a big boost for Spurs' chances of signing Gvardiol, who we feel the club should do all that they can to sign.