Tottenham Hotspur still have a number of weeks left to dip into the market before the January transfer window officially slams shut at the start of next month.
The less-than-convincing win over non-league outfit Tamworth in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday was a timely reminder that Ange Postecoglou's squad is still not up to scratch.
They needed an own goal and strikes from substitute Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson to beat the National League side in extra time, after failing to find the back of the net in regulation time.
The clash was a big opportunity for some of the fringe players within the squad to put their hand up and show Postecoglou that they are ready to fight for a first-team spot moving forward for the rest of the season.
Sergio Reguilon and Timo Werner were two players who were given a chance to showcase what they can do in a Spurs shirt, and they both failed to advance their cause for a starting berth in the Premier League.
The German forward, in particular, was disappointing and has endured a frustrating season since the club opted to extend his loan from RB Leipzig until the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Timo Werner's form this season
The former Chelsea striker has been utilised as both a left-sided winger and as a central forward at times across all competitions by Postecoglou this season, and struggled in both roles.
His dull showing against Tamworth, missing two 'big chances', extended the attacker's run of games without a goal or an assist to ten matches in all competitions, which illustrates the lack of impact he has made at the top end of the pitch for Spurs.
Put simply, Werner has not offered enough in the final third to justify the club keeping him beyond the end of his current loan from RB Leipzig, which is due to end in the summer.
The German speedster scored two goals and provided three assists in 13 Premier League matches in the second half of last season at Spurs, which was a solid but unspectacular return in his first loan spell at the club.
Werner was then brought back for a second loan stint with Tottenham this term and his output has decreased, with zero goals in 17 league outings so far.
As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old flop has offered very little in front of goal in the Premier League, with just three goal contributions in 17 matches.
The experienced forward has, simply, not done enough in the final third to warrant Spurs keeping hold of him on a permanent deal and that is why Daniel Levy must dip into the transfer market to find a suitable replacement for Postecoglou.
Tottenham competing to sign French star
According to GIVEMESPORT over the weekend, Spurs are still in the race to complete a deal for Paris Saint-Germain attacker Randal Kolo Muani in the January transfer window.
The report claims that Tottenham, Manchester United, and Juventus are all showing an interest in the France international, who is available to move on from the Ligue 1 champions.
It states that PSG are open to allowing him to move away on loan, amid their pursuit of Napoli superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but will only do so if there is an obligation to make the deal permanent at the end of the loan, with a fee of £50m being demanded.
The outlet adds that Spurs have made an offer but are currently at a stalemate in negotiations as they are not prepared to include an obligation, over an option, to make the deal permanent at this moment in time.
Kolo Muani is happy to consider a move to link up with the Premier League side but until either Tottenham or PSG budge in their respective stances, there is nothing to consider.
Levy must, now be prepared to include an obligation to make the deal permanent for £50m in the summer because Spurs could finally move on from Werner by bringing the French star in as his replacement, for the next five months on loan and then permanently in the summer.
Why Spurs should sign Randal Kolo Muani
You may think of his huge miss in the 2022 World Cup final for France against Argentina or his return of just two goals in Ligue 1 when you think of Kolo Muani, but neither of those things are a fair reflection of what Spurs could reasonably expect from him.
The France international, firstly, is a versatile attacker who could offer Tottenham quality in a variety of positions, as he is capable of playing on the left, on the right, or through the middle, which means that the 26-year-old ace can cover the roles that Werner has been playing in.
As you can see in the video above, Kolo Muani has also previously showcased his quality at the top end of the pitch in a major European league in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt.
He produced 26 goals and 17 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions for the German side before his move to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023, which was followed by a return of nine goals and six assists in 40 matches last season.
As you can see in the table above, the French dynamo provided regular quality as both a scorer and a creator during his last season with Frankfurt in the Bundesliga
Kolo Muani, who was described as "remarkable" by German legend Lothar Matthaus, could benefit from a return to regular game time, having started just 15 Ligue 1 matches since the start of last season, and that is what Spurs could offer.
If Postecoglou could get him back to the levels he displayed with Frankfurt then he would, quite simply, be a huge upgrade on Werner and allow Tottenham to move the German forward on, whilst also being worth the £50m outlay for his services in the summer.