Tottenham's recent forays into the transfer market have been hit and miss, with gems such as Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur and Cristian Romero becoming big success stories. On the other side of that coin are the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Sergio Reguilon and Steven Bergwijn, who have failed to leave their mark on the first team.
With the January market now open, there's little room for error as Antonio Conte nears the end of his contract, with it expiring in the summer, with a similar situation for star striker Harry Kane, who is set to be a free agent next summer. To keep both on board, there will have to be a sense of ambition as well as a possible back-to-back top-four finish.
So far, the side sit fifth and are a few points away from being in the driving seat for the Champions League positions. Conte said any transfers will have to be: "Young players, players with not big salaries. We have to sign players, that they can stay in our vision, in the vision of the club."
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That may be tough to find in the current market, especially given the inflated price for a mid-season transfer to go through. However, they could turn one of their recent transfer failings into a success thanks to a forgotten man in their ranks: Giovani Lo Celso.
The midfielder signed for a hefty fee, but failed to break into the side, eventually joining Spanish side Villarreal on loan for the season. The Argentina international is said to still be of interest to the side, with Estadio Deportivo claiming Spurs have set a price tag of £17.6million for a permanent switch.
It's a move that the La Liga club may struggle to make unless there's some sales in the market, claiming that Pau Torres could be one of those that leaves to fund some transfers. The Spaniard has been linked with a switch to Tottenham over the past two-years, having impressed at the highest level.
It could be a "dream" transfer for Conte, who may want to shuffle the pack in his defensive line, given some of their struggles at the back as of late.
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