Tottenham Hotspur are now considering a shock move for one player from Chelsea, as Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou scours for his much-needed second signing of the January window.
Tottenham pursuing new centre-back in January
Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are set to return from injury sooner rather than later, in what will be a serious boost for the under-fire Postecoglou, who's seen his defence absolutely ripped to shreds in recent months.
For the longest time, Postecoglou was forced to cope with just one fit and available centre-back in Radu Dragusin, with Ben Davies also just returning from an injury which kept him out of the side for weeks.
Teenage Archie Gray was thrown straight into the deep end as a result, partnering Dragusin at the heart of Postecoglou's defence in an unfamiliar role, and the Lilywhites boss will be very keen to avoid a scenario like this again as he seeks to resurrect Tottenham's faltering campaign.
It is safe to say Spurs' lack of depth has been seriously exposed, especially at centre-back, with reliable media sources claiming that Tottenham have been looking for another central defender to come in and bolster Postecoglou's backline.
This comes amid technical director Johan Lange's widely reported pursuit of a new forward, so the supporters will be hopeful their side can land one or two major outfield signings before deadline day on February 3.
Tottenham were reportedly targeting Abdukodir Khusanov from RC Lens, before the Uzbek's high-profile move to Premier League champions Man City, while it is also believed that Lange could test AC Milan's resolve with a bid for Fikayo Tomori (The Boot Room).
There are options for Postecoglou's side heading into the final stretch of this window, and they're also weighing up a rival defender in Chelsea ace Tosin Adarabioyo.
Tottenham now considering move for Chelsea defender Tosin
According to CaughtOffside, the £120,000-per-week former Fulham star has found his way on to Spurs' list of centre-back targets.
Once a key player at Craven Cottage, Tosin's opportunities at Stamford Bridge have been pretty limited overall since he sealed a free transfer there last summer. The Englishman was largely a bench player until early December last year, with Wesley Fofana's long-term injury increasing his chances under Enzo Maresca ten-fold.
The 27-year-old has started five out of their last seven Premier League games, even scoring against Wolves last weekend, but Chelsea have now recalled Trevoh Chalobah and remain in pursuit of Marc Guehi (Mick Brown).
He could well find himself back on the fringes of Maresca's team, depending on developments, and Tottenham are believed to be monitoring this situation closely. As per CaughtOffside, Tottenham are considering a "surprise" January move for Tosin, and it isn't hard to see why given his top flight experience and atttributes suited to Postecoglou's high line.
“He is fast, strong in the air, and has the quality to look forward behind the line for the next pass,” said Pep Guardiola on Tosin.
“He is a nice guy, his mind is open, he listens, he trains every day like it’s the last training of his life and I like to work with these kinds of players a lot.”