Forget Bentancur: Conte must unleash Spurs' £31.5m-rated "animal" on Brighton today - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur make their long-awaited return to competitive action this evening as they host Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup fourth round proper.

Spurs had a busy end to the January transfer window, bolstering Antonio Conte’s playing squad with two additions and letting as many as four first-team players depart north London on deadline day.

However, it’s the return of Cristian Romero from injury that could provide the most excitement as his presence amongst the backline has been sorely missed over the past few months.

The Argentinian picked up a serious hamstring problem during international duty back in November, soon after the Italian took over from Nuno Santo – now he’s in line for just his third start under Conte.

In his absence, the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga have struggled to make much of an impact and if anything, have hampered things somewhat.

They were largely at fault for a cataclysm of blunders during their three encounters against Chelsea in January. It’s telling that Ben Davies continues to get the nod over the pair, despite being a full-back by trade.

Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, Romero is an aggressive beast at the back and that much has already been seen in his seven Premier League appearances this campaign.

He has averaged more interceptions (1.7 per game) than any other player in the squad and ranks second for tackles (2.3 per game). He also leads the way for aerial duels won (2.4 per game) and is even an accomplished passer with an accuracy of 84.8% on the season, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder he has been dubbed an “animal” by his peers.

“This guy is an animal, I swear. He’s perfect for the Premier League,” goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini told the Evening Standard