When it rains, it pours for Tottenham Hotspur, with the recent saga involving Bayern Munich's wantaway starlet, Mathys Tel, only serving to heap further misery on the North London outfit.
As Ange Postecoglou beautifully put it himself amid the loss of Radu Dragusin to injury in midweek, "every time I've seen the light at the end of the tunnel, it's usually been an oncoming train." Poetic indeed.
Hampered by an ever-growing list of absentees, the Lilywhites are seemingly in desperate need of reinforcements before the deadline, albeit with it looking as if chairman Daniel Levy has failed in his charm offensive over Tel, with the teenager rejecting the chance to move to N17 after a £50m agreement had been reached.
While that refusal may lie more in the forward's hesitation over making a permanent exit from the Allianz Arena, it will sting all the same, with just a matter of days left for Spurs to turn their attention elsewhere...
Tottenham looking at Mathys Tel alternatives
For a team that have scored 46 Premier League goals this season - the third most in the division - there could be an argument that it is not the attacking unit that is in need of strengthening, not least with a 19-year-old who has failed to score at all this season in Germany.
If Postecoglou's squad is to be appropriately bolstered at the top end of the pitch - whether that is needed or not - it may require a far more Premier League-proven talent to arrive in the door, hence the club's apparent interest in Manchester United sensation, Alejandro Garnacho.
As per the Daily Mail, Tottenham are said to have launched a surprise late enquiry regarding the Spain-born, Argentina international, with United seemingly open to a sale for a fee in the region of £60m.
The report claims that Levy's approach was centred on doing a deal on an initial loan basis, amid their long-standing interest in the winger, although negotiations are yet to 'progress'.
How Garnacho compares to Mathys Tel
The question of whether a new left-winger is a priority - amid the rise of the likes of Mikey Moore - is a valid one, although few Spurs supporters would seemingly turn up their nose at the addition of a "generational" talent like Garnacho, as hailed by Statman Dave.
Attitude issues have been a potential concern at Old Trafford in recent times, with the wideman left out of the Manchester Derby back in December by manager Ruben Amorim, although when in the groove, the former Atletico Madrid starlet is a real terror down the flanks.
Previously lauded as a "game-changer" by journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the 20-year-old has worked his way back into favour under Amorim of late, starring off the bench in Bucharest in midweek after teeing up teammate Kobbie Mainoo to make it 2-0 on the night.
A direct and relentless winger, in the mould of a Son Heung-min perhaps, Garnacho appears particularly well suited to the front-footed Postecoglou approach, with his record in recent seasons ensuring he would be a truly worth arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Yes, Tel is certainly exciting too, but only a year older than the Frenchman, Garnacho has proven his talents on a far more consistent basis, having already chalked up 14 goals and assists in all competitions this season. Tel, meanwhile, boasts just one assist and no goals.
In all in 2023/24, Garnacho registered 15 goals and assists - only one short of what Tel achieved at Bayern. As can be seen in the table above however, it is the United academy graduate who perhaps represents the more all-round option, while boasting the benefit of his Premier League experience.
Having been stung in the past by losing the likes of Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov to the Manchester side, how nice it would be for Spurs to get their own back for change, landing what could well be a big upgrade on Tel in the process.