The January transfer window opens on Sunday and Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte wants at least a couple of new faces to boost his flagging squad.
Spurs currently sit fourth in the Premier League table and will face AC Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League but the teams below Conte's men in the league are starting to claw back the points as the north London side continue their wretched run of nine consecutive matches of conceding first across all competitions.
Back in October, the Tottenham head coach said: "I think the club understand very well the importance of bringing in important players, good players, in January. I’m not the person who has to explain this to my club."
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This week Conte admitted that any signings must confirm to the club's policy of signing "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".
football.london has previously reported that last summer's transfer activity was about adding quality and quantity to Conte's low numbers of players.
This winter window will purely be about finding quality while maintaining the numbers, so bringing in upgrades for those currently within the squad, affording some young players the chance to head off on loan to continue their development with regular football.
football.london understands that the two priorities for Conte's squad in the January transfer window are a new attacking player and a right wing-back. There is a real desire to keep the Italian happy within the club with what happens in the next month and they will be looking at both permanent and loan transfers to fill the roles the head coach has asked for, with the potential of one being a permanent deal and one a loan-to-buy, similar to last year's moves for Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski.
Conte has had to deal with attacking injuries galore this season with problems for Kulusevski, Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and £60m summer signing Richarlison. The Italian is currently without the latter until later next month due to a hamstring injury suffered at the World Cup while Lucas' inflamed tendon has been causing him issues all season and the head coach was unsure of a return date for the experienced Brazilian when asked this week.
Harry Kane has so far steered clear of injury while Bryan Gil is desperate for game time and a loan move, with Conte not seemingly convinced of the 21-year-old's suitability off the bench for him apart from in emergencies.
Spurs need more attacking options and with Gil likely to head out on loan, Conte will be looking across at Liverpool who signed Cody Gakpo this week to bolster an attack that already boasts Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino. Jurgen Klopp's men now lie just five points behind Tottenham with a game in hand while Conte was unable to make an attacking substitution during the 2-2 draw at Brentford on Boxing Day because of a lack of options.
With Conte's reluctance to use untested players, managing director of football Fabio Paratici is looking for ready-made alternatives who can slot straight into the Italian's system.
football.london understands that the Spurs recruitment chief is an admirer of 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder Tete, who is currently on loan at Lyon from Shakhtar Donetsk. The winger has netted six goals and laid on three assists in 14 Ligue 1 games this season but he has found starts harder to come by under new Lyon boss Laurent Blanc in the past six matches. A number of Premier League clubs have been alerted to his potential availability next month.
Atalanta's 29-year-old attacker Ruslan Malinovskyi remains a player of interest for Tottenham with his contract running out next summer amid irregular starts for the Ukrainian at the Italian club, while Rennes forward Martin Terrier, who can play across the front three, is a player of interest having netted 11 goals in 20 matches in Ligue 1 and in the Europa League.
The third-placed French club turned down some big money offers for the attacker last summer and with a long contract until 2026 that is unlikely to change next month.
Paratici is understood to like versatile Leicester winger Harvey Barnes, who turned 25 this month. Barnes has six goals in 14 Premier League games this season but would come with a hefty price tag as he still has two and a half years remaining on his contract at a club that would be reluctant to part company with him.
The Spurs recruitment supremo has also been keeping an eye on the progress of 24-year-old Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, who has nine goal involvements (six goals and three assists) from his 19 Championship matches so far this season. The Senegal international scored for his country as they reached the last 16 of the World Cup this month.
With 18 months left on his current deal, 10 goals and eight assists from 50 Premier League games in a struggling Hornets side and the versatility to play anywhere across the front three, Sarr could be another option Spurs look at in the next month.
Spurs have long been linked with a move for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha and while he turned 30 last month so does not fit the 'young player' transfer profile of the club, he is now in the final six months of his contract so will come with a reduced fee. The Ivory Coast international has scored six goals and provided two assists in his 14 Premier League games this season and would add plenty to Conte's attacking options.
Zaha will be free to talk to clubs abroad from Sunday though about a free summer move which adds plenty of competition should Spurs make a move for the former Manchester United winger, who could count towards their homegrown quota.
Previous interest from Spurs in another homegrown player in Anthony Gordon could be scuppered by a reported new Everton contract for the 21-year-old while another long-time Paratici target, Adama Traore, is now in the last six months of his deal at Wolves and, like Zaha, the 26-year-old can talk to foreign clubs next month while the Midlands club would like to keep him beyond the summer.
At right wing-back, any newcomer would mean an exit or two with Tottenham understood to be willing to consider offers that arrive for Emerson Royal over the more versatile Matt Doherty, while a decision would have to be made over a potential loan for summer signing Djed Spence who is yet to start a match under Conte.
Spurs have a strong interest in 23-year-old Sporting star Pedro Porro with Fabio Paratici a fan, although there are some doubts over whether the 5ft 7in Spaniard physically fits the mould of a Conte wing-back.
Sporting boss Ruben Amorim said this week that any interested club would need to pay the £39.7m release clause to sign the wide man.
"With regard to Pedro Porro, we know that there are players in our team who, because of what they have done, are now wanted by other clubs," he said at a press conference. "We had this problem in the summer too. What I was told is that he can only leave if the clause is triggered. And if the clause is triggered, there is nothing we can do.
"He is playing really well. Like me, he is living one of the best moments of his career and he is only focused on Sporting. We are prepared for anything and we know that there are clubs who can pay the clause, but, until that happens, I think Pedro is safe."
football.london understands that Paratici also likes 21-year-old Monaco star Vanderson, with the young Brazilian able to play anywhere down the right-hand side. With a contract until 2027 the Ligue 1 club could ask for a sizable fee for the youngster.
Another wing-back among those on Paratici's radar is Inter's Denzel Dumfries with the 26-year-old catching the eye at the World Cup but interested clubs have been quoted a hefty price tag for the Netherlands star.
One young wing-back on Spurs' radar is Lyon's 21-year-old Malo Gusto, a Ligue 1 regular with European experience and seen as the next big talent in French football.
With 18 months left on his contract, the France U21 international ticks the boxes of Tottenham's transfer profile although he would need to develop his attacking output to impress Conte with just one assist so far this season, adding to his five from the previous campaign.
While other areas of Conte's squad are not seen as a priority in this coming window, Spurs will continue to monitor any potential deals for upgrades across the pitch.
Conte is a big fan of Franck Kessie and Tottenham have been keeping an eye on former AC Milan midfielder's situation at Barcelona. The Serie A-winning Ivory Coast international is believed to be keen to stay with the Catalan club as is Xavi to keep him, however the club's financial problems continue to raise the prospect in the Spanish media that Kessie could be used to raise funds.
For Tottenham another more defensively-minded midfielder is not seen as a priority with Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, summer signing Yves Bissouma and young talent Oliver Skipp providing plenty of options in those roles as well as Senegal international Pape Matar Sarr a prospect for the future. However, with Conte an admirer, Spurs will continue to monitor that situation along with others, Paratici being a huge admirer of Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.
Conte ruled out a move for a new centre-back to football.london after the draw at Brentford.
"No, about the defenders, I think now we’ve have recovered also Japhet Tanganga. It was his first game this season. He struggled a lot with his knee. You know now that he needs a bit of time to grow into the game, but I’m pleased for him to play a game today," he said.
"Then at central defender I think we are good. We have to continue to work, to work. Cuti Romero comes back tomorrow in the training session. I repeat in one side I am a bit disappointed this season because we have conceded many goals. In the other side I think that we are scoring many goals, creating chances and to attack with many players."
Much in that position on the pitch could depend on the future of Tanganga, who desperately needs game time with AC Milan interested in signing him last summer. If the 23-year-old were to move on then Spurs would look for a centre-back earlier than scheduled to replace him.
football.london understands that the plan for next summer includes signing two centre-backs, one for the left and another able to play either centrally or on the right. Spurs are also planning to secure their long-term successor to 36-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Lloris next summer.
When it comes to the centre-backs, Clement Lenglet's loan from Barcelona being one without an option to buy hints that either a deal will be struck for the Frenchman if he impresses over the course of the season or Tottenham look elsewhere with Conte a big admirer of Inter centre-back Alessandro Bastoni.
Spurs need to get young players out of the club on loan next month with Tanganga, Gil, Sarr, potential Spence, Harvey White and teenager Alfie Devine all in need of minutes to develop in their careers.
There is also the prospect of selling Giovani Lo Celso if a bid comes in for the Argentine as his loan deal with Villarreal contains a break clause in January if another club were to make an offer to Tottenham for his services.
Joe Rodon could also return from loan at Rennes for a new move if all parties agree in the weeks ahead if the Wales international's situation does not improve with a current lack of game time for the French side either side of the World Cup.
It's set to be an fascinating transfer window at Tottenham with a need for new players for Conte similar to last January's season-changing signings of Bentancur and Kulusevski as any hesitation from the north London club and others will pounce both in the market and in the Premier League table.
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