Brighton aren't the right club for Koki Machida - the club he should join instead is blatantly obvious

There's been a lot of talk in recent days about players completing loan transfers between clubs owned by the same people. On Tuesday it was announced that the Premier League, or at least enough of a minority within its ranks, had voted against a ban on such deals taking place, essentially preserving the right of those in the boardroom to use their other assets like a sacrificial second side in a Football Manager save.

Of course, much of the focus in the subsequent rhetoric has surrounded the Saudi-owned Newcastle United and their apparent interest in a number of Pro League players who could relieve their mounting midfield woes in January. But by no means are the Magpies the only beneficiaries of these cheery loopholes, or indeed the advantages of a chairman with several fingers in several pies. Take little old Brighton, for instance, helmed by Tony Bloom, who just so happens to own a slice of Belgian outfit Royale Union Saint-Gilloise too. (Until recently, Bloom held a controlling stake in USG, but shuffled around his duties so as to not fall foul of UEFA's multi-club ownership regulations when both they and Brighton qualified for continental competition this season.)

And while there has never been any suggestions that Bloom's dual involvement is anything other than above board, there's certainly no denying that his influence on both sides of the Channel has been used to Albion's benefit. Take the signing of Deniz Undav last January, for instance, or more recently, links with Japanese defender Koki Machida.

At 26, the centre-back has impressed during his first 18 months or so in Europe, initially joining USG on a loan deal from boyhood club Kashima Antlers last year before completing a permanent transfer this summer. Since then, tentative speculation linking him with a potential move to the Amex has ebbed and flowed, while all the while Bloom's affable presence has loomed in the background.

But Albion may be about to come up against serious competition for the player, if a report from 90min is to be believed. According to the online publication, Tottenham Hotspur are also monitoring Machida, and you would have to say that it would be a swoop that makes a lot of sense for the high-flying Londoners.

Firstly, there is the physical profile of Machida himself - a powerful, intelligent footballer who operates on the left side of a central defensive pairing, and who seemingly possesses a lot of the traits required to slot effortlessly into Ange Postecoglou's aggressive, forward-thinking tactical approach.

And then, of course, there is the manager himself. Since arriving in the British game as Celtic boss, the Australian has shown a masterful knowledge of the Asian market, and reaped huge dividends at Parkhead with raids for the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate, and Daizen Maeda. Then again, we should hardly be surprised; this is the man who spent three seasons in Japan, and who guided Yokohama F Marinos to a first J. League title in 15 years during that stint.

Conveniently, it was around this time that Machida was beginning to emerge back in his home country. To that end, Postecoglou probably knows the defender better than most, and if he truly believes that the four-cap Japan international is the man to bolster his defensive options in January, then those on the board at Spurs should trust him in that judgement.

As for Machida himself, given a straight choice between Tottenham and Brighton, it would presumably be very difficult to snub Postecoglou's burgeoning project in the capital.