Tottenham Hotspur were arguably the most impressive team in the Premier League after the first ten games, playing exciting football and leading the table.
Manager Ange Postecoglou received plaudits from all corners for his work, but injuries have threatened to derail their campaign over the past few weeks.
They have lost their last two Premier League matches, plummetting from first to fourth in the standings.
Richarlison, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Ashley Phillips are all ruled out of action until 2024. Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie picked up suspensions in the defeat at Chelsea.
Ryan Sessegnon remains a long-term absentee and hasn’t featured this season.
Adding to their injury woes, midfielder Pape Matar Sarr has suffered a knock and is a doubt for Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa.
Postecoglou’s squad is being pushed to the brink by the continuous setbacks. The Australian manager will be waiting desperately for the winter transfer window to reinforce their ranks ahead of the rest of the season.
“In terms of January, the planning is well underway with that,” Postecglou said earlier today (via Sky Sports). “Johan (Lange, technical director) has come in. He is leading that in terms of all the background work.”
Tottenham must strengthen with another central defender, attacking midfielder and striker, and we analyse a few feasible targets they should consider.
Three viable January transfer targets for Tottenham to pursue
Lloyd Kelly – Bournemouth – Central Defender
Tottenham tried to sign Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly in the summer transfer window but could not get the deal over the line, and they could return to the experienced centre-back to reinforce their rearguard.
The 25-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with the Cherries, and they would be smart to move him on in January to recover some money.
However, the matter could be complicated for Spurs as Serie A giants Juventus and AC Milan have also got Kelly on their radar. Tottenham face a fight on their hands for the defender’s signature.
Kelly is a feasible, experienced and cost-effective signing Tottenham should pursue to plug their defensive holes.
Piotr Zielinksi – Napoli – Central/Attacking Midfielder
Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski is another player whose contract runs out this summer, and Spurs should be looking to tempt the Partenopei in the January transfer window.
The 29-year-old has bagged two goals and two assists in 12 Serie A outings for Napoli this season after a summer in which he was close to leaving.
Zielinski is an underrated midfielder and could prove a shrewd addition. He records 4.92 shot-creating options per game with mind-blowing progressive numbers to boot.
Zielenski contributes an astonishing 6.92 progressive passes (76th percentile) and 2.93 carries (85th percentile) per game.
He could add more depth to Spurs’ midfield as they look to challenge for the league title.
Ivan Toney – Brentford – Striker
When Tottenham lost Harry Kane this summer to Bayern Munich, they never signed a proper replacement for the England international, and January could present the perfect chance.
Brentford centre-forward Ivan Toney is reportedly seeking a move away and has alerted clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Tottenham are reportedly in the mix for the England international, and rightly so.
Like Kane, Toney has remarkable hold-up play and is prolific. Having played in London for three years, he would settle nicely at Spurs.
Brentford are more likely to try and hold on to Toney until the summer, but Tottenham should snap at any chance to sign the striker.
If they cannot secure Toney’s services, they should consider a move for FC Porto man Mehdi Taremi, who hasn’t had the best start to the campaign but is still a terrific striker on his day.
Taremi is also in the final year of his contract, and Porto are considering selling him in the winter transfer window before he leaves as a free agent.
