Football.London

Ange Postecoglou is in desperate need of some new Tottenham signings to ease numerous injury problems with the hope of also improving the club's awful run of form. Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester means that Spurs have picked up just four points from the last 30 available.

Pressure on Postecoglou's job has subsequently increased significantly but football.london understands that Daniel Levy is currently still sticking by the decision to keep him in charge. Key returns from injury for the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero could help matters, but additions are still needed.

It is understood that Spurs plan to bring in at least one new signing for Postecoglou before the winter window closes. Paris Saint-Germain's Randal Kolo Muani was one name linked to making a loan switch before he opted for Juventus instead.

Spurs have also been credited with an interest in Lille striker Jonathan David, Johnny Cardoso of Real Betis, Ipswich's Liam Delap and Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo. For two targets, that interest has gone further with the Telegraph claiming that talks have been held for both Southampton ace Tyler Dibling and Lille midfielder Angel Gomes.

The latter sees his contract in France expire this summer and therefore he could be signed on a free transfer, but West Ham are also interested. The prospect of a move taking place in the next six days, despite his lack of game time recently, also appears unlikely.

As for Dibling, numerous clubs are showing an interest in the 18-year-old, including Chelsea, Aston Villa, Liverpool and RB Leipzig. He is currently missing with an ankle injury however, and is not expected back until February, which potentially rules out a switch this month.

While it is great to see the Lilywhites planning moves for the summer, Postecoglou needs signings imminently and once again preparation and subsequently execution in a transfer window has been sub-par.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking herefor in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Ex-Manchester United star Angel Gomes already admitted the allure of a Premier League return before Tottenham Hotspur reportedly began negotiations to sign him.

The 24-year-old joined United aged six before leaving 14 years later to join current club Lille in 2020. Gomes has since established himself as a key cog of the Ligue 1 outfit, for whom he's made 130 appearances.

However, with his contract running out this summer, the midfielder's future has been up in air with a return to his home country being touted. The England international - who made his international debut under Lee Carsley late last year - already made his thoughts clear upon a potential return to the Premier League last September, saying it could happen "if something was to come up that did make sense".

After being asked whether he'd already received offers for a return to England's top flight, Gomes smiled and said: "I have … but I believe everything will happen naturally and at its own time and I am really chilled. So, if something was to come up that did make sense, you never know in football."

One club who are said to be interested in securing his services are Tottenham. Amid the club's torrid injury crisis with 12 senior players currently on the sidelines, Ange Postecoglou would seriously benefit from arrivals before next Monday's January transfer window deadline.

While Spurs have held talks with Gomes and Southampton's teenage sensation Tyler Dibling, it's reported that the deals would be for the summer window, according to The Telegraph. The club are also looking to bring in one outfield player this month.

Spurs aren't the only club in the Premier League looking to snap up Gomes, with GiveMeSport reporting the Lilywhites will face competition from West Ham United and also his former side. It's also claimed he's preferring a move to Spurs instead of their London rivals or a return to his boyhood club.

Despite the constant transfer speculation surrounding his future, Gomes spoke up about his contract situation in an interview with Fabrizio Romano. "I'm aware of clubs inquiring about my situation, but I'm now completely focused on Lille," he insisted.

"I want to finish the season in the best way possible, and then we will see what happens; I'm focused on the present and not on negotiations."

There are few clubs in European football to have had the kind of dramatic change in revenue over the last decade that Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed.

The decision to make the move from White Hart Lane to a new purpose-built 62,850-seater stadium on the Tottenham High Road has been a complete game-changer when it comes to the kind of sums that the club can pull in on an annual basis.

The aim of the build was to try and financially futureproof the football club and create diversified revenue streams thanks to hosting the NFL's London Series on a 10-year deal, as well as the ability to welcome world-class music artists and events to North London. It has been a plan that has worked.

It came at a heavy cost, of course, with the build at around £1.2billion, and that build was largely paid for by raising debt, around £850million of it that sat on the balance sheet at fixed rates as of the 2022/23 financials, the most recently available full, audited accounts. That debt was seen as good debt, secured at favourable rates compared to what the market can offer now, meaning that the club has already made headway in paying it down, the aim within the next ten-to-fifteen years to be debt free and the stadium paying for itself.

It has been a vital build, one that simply had to be done, and it will serve Spurs well both now and into the future. But there are obvious problems in the "priority" area for chairman Daniel Levy, and that is that the club are at this moment not competitive in the Premier League and closer to a relegation scrap than a battle for Champions League football. For the club to continue to see revenues grow, playing in European football's elite knockout club competition is incredibly important.

Commenting at the time of the publication of the 2022/23 accounts, Levy wrote: "Our turnover has exceeded half a billion pounds for the first time. Whilst UEFA monies contributed, this has also been driven by increased stadium revenues from both football and non-football events and additional revenue streams.

"This is the impact of our multi-use stadium and what our board has been focused on delivering in order to invest in our football in a financially sustainable manner. The absolute priority for our club is to deliver on-pitch success."

Sunday’s defeat at home to relegation-threatened Leicester City saw the anger directed the way of Levy, watching on from the stands, instead of embattled boss Ange Postecoglou, whose side have been hit with horrendous luck with injuries this campaign, particularly defensively, and left with a threadbare squad. Yet there has been only one January addition, a goalkeeper, and fans are angry.

Last week saw the publication of the annual Deloitte Football Money League, which takes a look at the financial state of world football’s biggest clubs.

What the report did give was some early hints as to what 2023/24 looked like from an accounting perspective for Spurs, with the club dropping one place to eighth in the list. Reductions in matchday revenue due to fewer games, and broadcast money due to a lack of Champions League football, means that Spurs are looking at a decline in total revenue of around £20million, with total revenue set to be around £529million for the 2023/24 financial year.

But one metric that does stand out is the club’s wage bill, which is pegged at around £222million for the 2023/24 period. That places them 14th on the Money League list, six places lower than where they sit for total revenue.

As a wage to turnover ratio, Spurs will sit at around 42%, down 5% year-on-year and down from a high of 57% in 2021. Spurs have the lowest wage to revenue ratio of all 20 Premier League clubs.

It could be argued that it is financially responsible, when rivals are willing to spend more, with wages often correlating with greater success due to the fact that wage rises often come about through incentivised contracts. But with wages a better barometer of a successful team than transfer spend, Spurs have been spending less, or at least seeing the gap widen between what the club as a business makes and what it spends on player salaries.

Those kind of numbers will be irksome for fans who want to see the ambition that was shown in making such a bold, world-leading football stadium, reflected in the ambition that the club has for the actual product on the pitch. There is a famous business phrase: “It’s the product, stupid.” Maybe that is apt here.

But there is a flip-side, and the notoriously cautious and tough dealmaker Levy will be well aware of the potential pitfalls. The club was very profitable between 2015 and 2019 to the tune of more than £300million. That was largely down to excellent player trading and selling major assets such as Kyle Walker and Gareth Bale.

But player trading, save for the sale of Harry Kane in August 2023, which will be accounted for in the 2023/24 accounts, when the club are projected to make a loss once more, has not been strong in recent years. That has coincided with the club flipping from profit to loss, with the last three years seeing cumulative losses of some £190million-plus, estimated.

Amortisation costs have risen, and taking into account the new squad cost ratio financial controls that come into effect from next season, where wages, amortisation, agents fees and termination payments work as a ratio against total revenue, Spurs are likely around 70%, which is where limit Premier League clubs competing in Europe will have to reach. That is around the same as some of their main ‘big six’ competitors.

So, there is some reason behind the fact that the club having been so unwilling to spend big sums on wages, and the problems that are currently being seen at Manchester United have offered some red flags as to what happens when clubs engage on that road without competitive success to follow. With revenue shrinking for 2023/24, and the trend likely a similar one for 2024/25 given the lack of a big player sale or any Champions League football, and a far smaller Premier League merit payment for this current season, Spurs are showing signs of real caution.

But with a wage to revenue ratio that puts them 20th out of all Premier League clubs, and at a time when the club has been crying out for some additional resource, it is a hard sell to fans to plead too much poverty when they are spending less than the likes of Aston Villa, who have surged past them, in chasing success.

Time is now starting to run out for Tottenham in the January transfer window. Such a pivotal month for the club following a host of injuries from the end of October onwards, the north London club have only made one signing in the winter market so far after striking a deal with Slavia Prague for Antonin Kinsky.

Ange Postecoglou is in desperate need of more reinforcements to help put an end to Tottenham's current slump that has seen them slip down to 15th in the Premier League table. Amid a lot of speculation regarding the head coach's future following a dire set of results, football.london reported on Monday that for now at least Spurs are sticking with Postecoglou amid the injury crisis his squad is engulfed in and the Australian has the players behind him still.

The club are attempting to sign at least one player for him in the week ahead to add depth to the squad. There are certainly a couple of positions that Tottenham need to address before the 11pm deadline on Monday, February 3, with all fans keeping their fingers crossed that Daniel Levy and Johan Lange will be able to add to Postecoglou's squad over the coming days.

So what transfers could take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before deadline day? football.london takes a look below.

New centre-back

It has been evident for quite some time now that Tottenham require centre-back reinforcements. Spurs have yet to strengthen in defence during the transfer window and now there is less than a week remaining to add to the position.

That area of the pitch still really could do with addressing but it may not be as much of a priority as it was at the start of January as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are nearing their returns. Regardless of that, Tottenham still require a new centre-back as injuries will very likely strike again in defence going on how the 2024/25 season has panned out so far.

New attacker

A new attacker may now be at the top of Tottenham's priority list heading into the final few days of the window. With Dominic Solanke out for six weeks after injuring his knee in training, there are now question marks over Richarlison's fitness as he left the pitch early in the Leicester defeat with a groin issue.

Richarlison's Spurs career has been extremely stop-start due to various injuries and there is no guarantee he gets through the rest of the campaign completely unscathed. Amid Son Heung-min's struggles when playing through the middle, Spurs cannot chance it and go without a striker in January as they are competing on four fronts and they cannot afford to leave themselves too short with so much at stake.

In an ideal world, an attacker who can operate through the middle and also out wide would suit Tottenham down to the ground.

A transfer for next season

Southampton ace Tyler Dibling has been linked with a move to Tottenham after an excellent breakthrough season in the Premier League. It has been a dismal return to the top flight for Saints but Dibling has been a rare shining light for the south coast club.

The Telegraph have reported that Spurs could look to strike an agreement with Southampton for Dibling to move to N17 at the end of the season if they cannot sign him this month. As important as it is for Tottenham to sign players for the here and now, they may also have one eye on their plans for the 2025/26 campaign.

Scarlett loan exit

One loan exit that could be on the cards is Dane Scarlett heading elsewhere for regular first-team football before deadline day. Starting the campaign with Championship side Oxford, the attacker fared well in his minutes but his playing time was restricted at times, especially following the arrival of Gary Rowett as manager.

Recalled by the north London club just over a week ago, the youngster has not featured in Spurs' matchday squad since returning and another loan move looks to be in the pipeline. Tottenham should certainly have options for the academy graduate after his four goals and one assist during his time with Oxford.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking herefor in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham Hotspur are desperate to complete at least one more deal before the January transfer window closes.

Spurs have so far only added Antonin Kinsky to their ranks, despite continued calls from head coach Ange Postecoglou to give his squad the help it requires. A defender and a forward are high on the priority list, but with just six days of the window remaining open, time is running out.

Will Postecoglou get the player or players he needs to bolster his ailing squad? Will the Australian still be in a job to oversee any new signings coming in given Tottenham's horrendous form? You can find all that and more with our bespoke Spurs WhatsApp service.

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Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham just never seem to get a break on the injury front. Already without a host of key stars, Spurs unfortunately had to do without James Maddison for Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester City.

The numbers in the treatment room could potentially increase over the coming days, although that should all become clear on Wednesday when the head coach faces the media to preview the Europa League tie against Elfsborg. Richarlison, who has made an impact since returning from injury, had to come off against the Foxes due to a groin problem, with Pape Matar Sarr also making way at the same time early in the second half and the boss admitting after the game that the Senegalese star "shouldn't have played today".

Ahead of a huge week of football with Tottenham facing crucial games against Elfsborg and Brentford, we take a look at how the injury table looks for Postecoglou and Spurs right now and when the injured stars could finally make their return.

Richarlison

Richarlison started Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester City and duly got his name on the scoresheet in the first half with a header from Pedro Porro's cross. However, his game time would come to an end nine minutes into the second half as he was replaced by Mikey Moore.

Speaking to the media after the game, Postecoglou revealed that the Brazilian had a groin issue and he really should have come off at half-time. He said: "He was feeling his groin mate, he should have come off at half-time but he wanted to give another 10 minutes. I could see he wasn’t running well so that is why I took him off."

Return date: All will become clear on Wednesday when Postecoglou speaks to the media.

Pape Matar Sarr

Sarr also came off at the same time as Richarlison as Sergio Reguilon replaced him for the final 36 minutes of the contest. Sarr had just made his return to the team after not making the matchday squad for last Thursday's win at Hoffenheim.

"I've said all along, the players need help and I've also said the club are working hard in that area to try to alleviate some of those problems, because Pape Sarr shouldn't have played today. He obviously wasn't fit," said Postecoglou in his post-match press conference.

Return date: All will become clear on Wednesday when Postecoglou speaks to the media.

Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma returned to the matchday squad for the first time since the defeat at Arsenal but he remained an unused substituted in the Leicester City loss. The decision to not bring on the experienced Mali international hints that he is not fully fit at present as otherwise he would have been introduced.

Return date: Given he was named in the matchday squad, a possible return to action against Elfsborg could be on the cards.

James Maddison

Tottenham were dealt some more bad news on the injury front going into the Leicester game as Maddison missed out on the squad completely. His absence came three days after playing a key role in the team's win at Hoffenheim.

Speaking before the game, Postecoglou said: "He's still a bit sore from the other night. It took a fair bit out of the group and he just wasn't 100% so he misses out today. No no [nothing too serious]. We hope not. Hopefully should be alright for next week."

Return date: Going on Postecoglou's comments, Maddison should be in line to return against either Elfsborg or Brentford.

Djed Spence

After missing out against Hoffenheim as he is ineligible to feature in the Europa League, Djed Spence was also absent for last Sunday's home encounter against Leicester. In his pre-match press conference on Friday morning, the Spurs boss indicated that the versatile full-back was "still sore from the weekend" and was now a doubt for the match as he had a knock.

Return date: As he cannot play this Thursday night against Elfsborg, Spence's return will likely be against Brentford on Sunday.

Cristian Romero

Having taken part in training last Wednesday ahead of the Hoffenheim match, Cristian Romero was not part of the squad for the European tie or the Leicester encounter. However, Postecoglou's comments when speaking on Tottenham's Review Show indicate that he could possibly be in line to return later this week.

When asked if Spurs could have some players back from injury for the Elfsborg match, he said: “We’ll see. There are definitely a couple getting close, Micky and Cuti, they’ll be training with the group, and even just having them training is great. There are another couple who are not too far off, on the horizon as well, so that will definitely help.”

Return date: Romero could possibly return later this week or maybe next week for the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool.

Micky van de Ven

As mentioned above, Van de Ven's long spell in the treatment room could soon be over. Prior to the Leicester post-match comments from Postecoglou, the 59-year-old did state on Friday that the Dutchman and Romero have a chance of featuring in the week where Tottenham face Liverpool and Aston Villa in the cup.

"Of the long-terms, they are the only two, Micky and Romero, who have a chance of that week. But we've still got sort of 12 days or something," he said. "Part of that process is to see how they cope with training over the next week or so. Both of them are scheduled around that sort of time to be available."

Return date: Later this week or next week at Anfield.

Timo Werner

Timo Werner has not featured for Tottenham since sustaining a hamstring injury in the win over Tamworth in the FA Cup. Postecoglou mentioned in the days after the injury blow that the German would face three to four weeks out of action.

Return date: Three to four weeks on from when he suffered the injury could mean a potential return against either Brentford, Liverpool or Aston Villa in early February.

Destiny Udogie

Destiny Udogie is yet to play for Tottenham in 2025 after ending 2024 by picking up a hamstring injury in the draw against Wolves. Postecoglou confirmed at the time that the Italian would face a six-week spell on the sidelines.

Return date: The FA Cup game away at Aston Villa would mark six weeks on from his injury against Wolves. Tottenham's following game after that comes at home to Manchester United seven days later.

Brennan Johnson

Tottenham are rather light on attacking options right now, with Brennan Johnson joining those in the treatment room midway through the month due to a calf issue. The injury is expected to keep the winger out of action for three to four weeks.

Return date: A return after three weeks would mean Johnson could return for either the Liverpool or Aston Villa cup games. Four weeks and his comeback may be against Manchester United midway through February.

Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario has some competition for his place in the Tottenham team upon his return following the signing of Antonin Kinsky. The Italian's last appearance for Spurs was in the 4-0 win over Manchester City in November, a match where he suffered an ankle injury that resulted in him going under the knife.

Speaking ahead of the Newcastle United game at the start of the month, Postecoglou issued an update on Vicario's fitness and stated that he could be back towards the end of February.

"He's on schedule," he said. "It's obviously when it's a fracture, there's a kind of set schedule for him being in a boot, how much weight bearing he can do, and then sort of getting clearances along the way, so he's still sort of on the same timelines of end of February, I think was the initial prognosis, nothing's really changed in the short term."

Return date: Spurs' final game in February is at home to Manchester City on Wednesday, February 26. March will start with an FA Cup fifth round tie providing they progress past Aston Villa.

Dominic Solanke

Tottenham were delivered a cruel injury blow ahead of the recent defeat at Everton following the news that Dominic Solanke would face time in the treatment room after sustaining an injury in training. The striker twisted his knee the day before the match when attempting a shot on goal.

In his Hoffenheim post-match press conference, Postecoglou revealed that Solanke faces six weeks out because of the injury.

Return date: A return after six weeks would come in the fifth round of the FA Cup as long as Spurs beat Aston Villa at the start of next month. If Spurs are to go out in the fourth round, a return in a round of 16 Europa League tie on Thursday, March 6 or against former club Bournemouth three days later could be on the cards.

Wilson Odobert

Tottenham fans will likely have to wait until the back end of the season to see Wilson Odobert in action once again. Suffering a hamstring injury against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup before doing likewise against AZ Alkmaar the following month, the Frenchman went under the knife as a result and Postecoglou told football.london in November that "obviously Wilson will be out for a fair chunk of the season".

Return date: Later this season.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking herefor in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham Hotspur must act in the final six days of the January transfer window otherwise their path will become perilous and that might mean taking some calculated risks.

Ange Postecoglou is currently struggling for players and Premier League points and Spurs have not moved for a single outfield player to help his and the squad's cause this month, despite the Australian's repeated calls for aid while watching his stars drop like flies each week with new injuries.

Tottenham have been linked with moves for various players like Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford, Southampton teenager Tyler Dibling as well as Lille forward Jonathan David among others, with Postecoglou admitting that he wants a new attacker in particular before the window closes.

In the latest episode of their podcast Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham, our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest discussed whether the north London club could enter the race for any of the above players and also spoke about Postecoglou's future and how damaging recent weeks have been.

They also discussed the defeat to Leicester on Sunday, the chants against chairman Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites' precarious position in the Premier League table's lower reaches.

You can listen to the new episode of the podcast on your preferred platform by going right here or you can watch the show on YouTube right here.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

The dreaded 'R word' cropped up once again on Sunday afternoon as Tottenham fell to an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester City. Leading at the break courtesy of Richarlison's header, a mad five-minute spell at the beginning of the second half saw Ruud van Nistelrooy's struggling team prevail.

Equalising through Jamie Vardy seconds after half-time, Bilal El Khannouss was then afforded all the time and space in the world to run towards the Tottenham box and find the bottom corner of Antonin Kinsky's net. The result leaves Spurs 15th in the Premier League table, eight points away from the drop zone and nine points adrift of the top half.

Due to their position in the standings after 23 games, Tottenham have been brought into the relegation debate and the odds on them dropping down to the Championship have tumbled as a result. Without a win in the Premier League since the middle of December when they demolished Southampton at St Mary's, Spurs' league form is a real concern right now and losing is becoming a worrying habit.

However, the return of key players such as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven very soon could prove vital to their form, as could the addition of one or two new players prior to next Monday's transfer deadline. In terms of new signings, Spurs shouldn't be in this position so late in the window where they require players as it has been evident since early December that new additions needed to be in through the door come the start of the winter market.

Returning to action on Thursday night with their final Europa League league phase game against Elfsborg on the calendar, Spurs' next match in the Premier League comes away at Brentford on Sunday afternoon. The Lilywhites have yet to win at the Gtech Community Stadium since Brentford's promotion to the Premier League in 2020, with the sides playing out three consecutive draws in west London.

At a time when Ange Postecoglou's Spurs have been rather poor on the road this season with seven defeats from 14 games, Brentford, on the other hand, sit fourth in the table for home form this term. The Bees have won seven of their 12 home games, with their three defeats coming against Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Liverpool.

What is rather worrying for Tottenham heading into this weekend's game is that they could potentially be 16th in the Premier League table prior to making the trip across the capital, which in turn would give Daniel Levy and the club a brutal reality check. That is because Everton, who are currently one place and one point behind Tottenham, have the chance to leapfrog them providing that they beat Leicester at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The gap between Spurs and the relegation zone could also narrow ahead of their game at Brentford when you take a look at this weekend's games. Aside from Everton's home encounter against Leicester, Wolves, who are 18th and one point away from safety right now, host Aston Villa at Molineux and then 19th-place Ipswich Town face off against 20th-place Southampton at Portman Road.

Wins for Wolves and Ipswich Town would certainly leave Tottenham in a precarious position as they would only be five points away from the drop zone if the results were to pan out that way. Facing Manchester United and Manchester City at home either side of a trip to Ipswich in late February, Spurs have to start getting the points on the board sooner rather than later, starting away at Brentford this weekend.

If not, the 'R word' may unfortunately become part of people's vocabulary when it comes to discussing Tottenham over the coming weeks.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking herefor in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

The pressure on under-fire Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou increased following Sunday's dire 2-1 defeat against relegation-threatened Leicester City.

Some fans called for Postecoglou to be sacked after they were beaten by the Foxes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Richarlison gave Spurs the lead in the first half and it all looked comfortable for the home side, up until Leicester turned it around after the break thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss.

Audible boos were present during the second half and after the final whistle as Tottenham supporters made their feelings clear. Most were directed at chairman Daniel Levy due to their lack of spending power, while others were at the team - and Postecoglou - after suffering their fourth straight Premier League defeat.

It's a result that leaves Spurs down in 15th on just 24 points from their 23 top-flight matches. Despite that, football.london understands that Tottenham are sticking with Postecoglou, and don't intend to sack him.

While Tottenham's form has been dreadful of late, Postecoglou can be defended by the fact they are enduring a horrendous injury crisis right now, with 10 players missing the Leicester defeat.

Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Djed Spence, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke were unavailable. Richarlison and Pape Matar Sarr, meanwhile, also appeared to pick up injuries against the Foxes, adding to their worries.

And it's understood that Spurs will try and sign at least one player for Postecoglou in the days ahead to ease the pressure on his depleted squad, even if that might have happened earlier in the window.

Tottenham have made one signing so far this month. Antonin Kinsky arrived from Slavia Prague for £12.5million earlier in the window due to Vicario suffering a broken ankle and the Czech Republic goalkeeper has impressed since arriving, keeping two clean sheets in five appearances across all competitions.

However, with Levy and the Spurs board willing to sign at least one more player before the end of the January window, which position are they going to strengthen. There is an argument to suggest that Tottenham need to add in a number of areas, including centre-back, left-back and on the right-hand flank.

A new centre forward could be a position that is targeted, as well. With Richarlison limping off with a groin injury against Leicester and Solanke out for, at least, five more weeks, Spurs might need to dip into the market and add another No.9. Signing someone on loan does seem the most suitable idea right now.

Will Lankshear has risen to prominence after impressing in the club's academy and he's an option to play up front, but Spurs might need someone with more experience to help them get out this mess. Scoring goals hasn't been a main issue this season but, without a senior striker available, it could soon become a problem.

Tottenham's army of loan players grew larger this week with a new addition and there have been plenty of good performances by the club's young players.

Ange Postecoglou has a tiny pool of fit players right now and many of the club's loan players would currently be getting plenty of minutes for Spurs' first team if they had been around the club. Instead they are impressing for other clubs across Europe and the Football League with plenty of game time for most of them. One player who returned to Tottenham ahead of a new loan move is young striker Dane Scarlett after his spell at Oxford United, so we'll be featuring him again soon.

Here's how the club's 12 loan players, plus Luka Vuskovic who will join Tottenham in the summer, have got on over the past week.

Bryan Gil (Girona)

Bryan Gil netted his third goal of the season in Girona's 2-1 defeat at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Sunday.

Just before the hour mark, the little winger came up with a rare header at the back post from a deep cross and the keeper could only help it on its way over the line.

Girona used two former Tottenham goalkeepers during the match with Paulo Gazzaniga suffering an injury and being replaced by Pau Lopez.

Unfortunately for Lopez he spilled a low cross to hand the hosts the lead and then let a close range shot go underneath him for the winner meaning it's back-to-back games that Girona have lost from leading positions.

Manor Solomon (Leeds United)

Manor Solomon continues to go from strength to strength on loan at Leeds as he grabbed a goal and an assist in another eye-catching performance in the 2-0 home win against Norwich.

Postecoglou said this week a simple "no" to Solomon or Bryan Gil coming back from their loans to help out in the injury crisis affecting the club right now.

That's probably a good thing for Solomon as he looks to have found his groove with the Elland Road club with two goals and two assists in his past three matches and seven goal involvements in his past seven matches.

The 25-year-old received an eight in Leeds Live's player ratings with the review: "Scored inside a minute by making the right run at the right time. Produced a lovely cross to return the favour to James for the first goal."

Championship leaders Leeds and Solomon are in action on Monday night with a big away game at third-placed Burnley.

Alfie Devine and Luka Vuskovic (Westerlo)

Alfie Devine and Luka Vuskovic both played 90 minutes as Westerlo made it four defeats in a row in the Jupiler Pro League.

On Saturday the duo found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline at home against league leaders Genk.

For Vuskovic, it was the young centre-back's first game back on the pitch after his ban for a red card against STVV for his angry reaction after the final whistle. The 17-year-old was handed a one-match ban, two-match suspended sentence and a €2,000 (£1,690) fine following that dismissal.

Alejo Veliz (Espanyol)

Alejo Veliz followed up last week's rare start as Espanyol secured a 2-1 win over Real Valladolid with 17 minutes from the bench on Saturday at his former loan club Sevilla in a 1-1 draw.

The 21-year-old now has 19 appearances to his name with four goals, including a Copa del Rey hat-trick, and he has got 1,052 minutes under his belt.

Alfie Dorrington (Aberdeen)

Dorrington upped his minutes on Saturday having previously made his Aberdeen debut off the bench at Ibrox last Wednesday as his new side fell to a 3-0 defeat away at Rangers.

At the weekend, the 19-year-old centre-back came off the bench five minutes before half-time with Aberdeen 2-0 down at home to St Mirren.

Technically his new side only conceded once in the second half with Dorrington on the pitch but the size of the task is clear with two 3-0 defeats in his first two matches on loan.

Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)

Ashley Phillips has started 17 of the past 18 Championship matches for Stoke and on Saturday the defender helped City keep a clean sheet in their 0-0 draw at home against Oxford United and had a good chance at the other end of the pitch.

The 19-year-old centre-back received a six in Stoke-on-Trent Live's player ratings with the review: "Unlucky with deft first-half header. Could have been more assertive at times."

After a spell out of the side at the start of the campaign and three different managers this season, Phillips has still found himself in a regular spot in the team and now has 22 appearances to his name, one goal and 1,879 minutes under his belt.

Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient)

The Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley Show at Orient continued with an assist for the former and yet another clean sheet for the latter in a 2-0 win against Reading.

It now means that Keeley, who was named the PFA Fans' Player of the Month for December, has now kept a remarkable 12 clean sheets in 16 games since joining the club and he was in commanding form during the match.

Donley has racked up four goals and three assists in seven League One matches and on Saturday he threaded a lovely pass through to former Tottenham academy player Dilan Markanday to fire home clinically on his home debut for Orient.

It was also Donley's cross that led to Charlie Kelman scoring the second goal but because the cross took a slight deflection at the end there was no second assist for the 20-year-olds effort.

George Abbott (Notts County)

George Abbott got another 90 minutes under his belt as Notts County drew 1-1 at home against Bromley on Saturday. He was not able to top the previous weekend's incredible volley into the top corner but then few players would be able to as it was that good a strike against Accrington Stanley.

The 19-year-old has four goals and three assists to his name in his 23 appearances for the Magpies this season.

Matthew Craig (Mansfield Town)

After making his debut for Mansfield last weekend, there was no spot in the squad for Matthew Craig in a 3-2 defeat to bottom side Cambridge United on Saturday.

Craig will be hoping to be involved when Mansfield host Crawley in League One on Tuesday evening and then travel to Shrewsbury at the weekend.

Luca Gunter (Wealdstone)

Nineteen-year-old goalkeeper Luca Gunter made his debut for National League side Wealdstone but was unable to prevent them from lost 2-0 at fellow strugglers Hyde.

It was still an important moment for the teenager though with his first foray into senior competitive football and the move should serve him well.

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