Tottenham's transfer approach appears to have changed with the club set to confirm two deals as they get their plans in place for the 2022/23 campaign. So often leaving things until the last minute in recent years, the pending arrivals of Fraser Forster and Ivan Perisic indicate that the Lilywhites want to get their transfer business done nice and early for Antonio Conte.
If Spurs can get a lot of their dealings done in the coming weeks then it means the head coach will have his new arrivals ready for the start of pre-season training. That will only bode well for the club going forward and hopefully will translate into a fast start when the season kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, August 6.
So what are Fabio Paratici's priorities in the transfer market once the club confirm the signings of Forster and Perisic? football.london takes a look.
READ MORE: Fabio Paratici is now repeating his Juventus transfer trick for Antonio Conte and Tottenham
Right wing-back
A new right wing-back was a priority for the club in January but Tottenham never managed to bring in a player to help solve their woes in the position. However, they were very much helped by Matt Doherty's return to form towards the end of February until he sustained a season-ending injury away at Aston Villa in early April.
Emerson Royal did step up in the Irishman's absence but the Brazilian's struggles in the final third mean he is not the perfect player for Conte's system. Given the need to bring in a player capable of registering goals and assists regularly in the head coach's setup, one of the duo may be set to move on if Paratici can finally bring in a right wing-back.
Left-sided centre-back
A new left-sided centre-back was on Tottenham's list back in January but they elected to hold off a move until the summer. At present Spurs do have plenty of options across the backline but Ben Davies is the only natural left-footed player who can operate there.
Conte will not want to lose any balance in his back three if Davies is ever missing, hence why a left-sided centre-back is a priority. Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni, who Conte knows very well from his time at the San Siro, has been heavily linked with a move to the club, while RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol is a player Spurs really like.
Attack-minded midfielder
One thing that was extremely noticeable during the first part of the campaign was a lack of creativity in the final third, which in turn heaped even more pressure on Harry Kane's shoulders. Although Conte has managed to solve the issue with Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski having a major role in both scoring and assisting, Spurs do still need to add a forward-thinking midfielder to help out the attacking trio.
There are only two central midfielders in Conte's 3-4-3 system, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur the two who ended the season there following Oliver Skipp's injury. All three are excellent players but they aren't attack-minded midfielders who can supply the ammunition the front three require on a consistent basis.
Striker
Tottenham were expected to sign a new striker 12 months ago but went without after failing to bring one in during the transfer window. It left Spurs running a huge risk just in case Kane picked up an injury as they only had young Dane Scarlett as their only other out-and-out striker.
Son can play there if required but it's clear to see that he is so much better operating from out wide. With Champions League football on the horizon come September as well as the domestic cups and 38 Premier League games, Tottenham quite simply must sign a new striker to provide cover for Kane as there will be times when he needs a breather.
