Jose Mourinho’s first transfer window at Tottenham Hotspur was always going to be an important moment in his reign at White Hart Lane.
The Portuguese manager's feeling that he had not been provided with sufficient backing in the transfer market at Manchester United was the beginning of the end of Mourinho’s time at Old Trafford.
Often quiet in the market under owner Daniel Levy, Spurs know that they will need a significant improvement of their squad if they want to meet expectations this season. The arrival of much-sought after youngster Gedson Fernandes should only be the start.
Injuries to Harry Kane, Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele have also thinned Spurs’ already bare squad even further – so reinforcements will be required to keep their players fresh.
Krystof Piatek, AC Milan
Kane’s injury and unspecified return date means that Spurs are rather short in the centre-forward position.
Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min are capable of filling the void in the England captain’s absence but are not regular out-and-out strikers.
That means Mourinho could turn to AC Milan’s Krystof Piatek as a potential option for cover. The Polish striker joined the San Siro from Genoa twelve months ago and immediately hit goalscoring form for the Rossoneri.
However, Piatek has only netted four times in Serie A this season and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return to Milan means the 24-year-old could be pushed out of the exit door this month.
Potential price: £24 million
Thomas Lemar, Atletico Madrid
Spurs have also been linked with Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Lemar with a prospective loan with an option to buy move.
The Frenchman joined Diego Simeone’s side last season in a €60m move and has made 49 league appearances for the club since then.
However, a reported falling out with his manager means that the La Liga club could be made surplus to requirements in the Spanish capital.
The same rumours state that Atleti would be open to letting Lemar leave for a €6m loan fee with a view to make the deal permanent for €60m in the summer.
That has interested Spurs and Mourinho but they face competition from north London rivals Arsenal who have been long-term admirers of Lemar, having nearly signed the Frenchman in the summer of 2017.
Potential price: £5 million loan, then £50 million
Samuel Umtiti, Barcelona
World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti is another player on Tottenham’s radar as they look to bolster their central defensive options.
The French defender has made only five appearances for the Catalan club this season with Barcelona opting to play Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet in Umtiti’s place.
The 26-year-old has long been linked with a move away from Camp Nou and Mourinho could be tempted to bring Umtiti in as the man to fix a defence that has already conceded 30 goals in the Premier League this season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have defensive issues of their own and could look to hijack a potential offer, while an apparent long-term injury to Harry Maguire could bring Manchester United into the transfer equation.
Potential price: £20 million
Max Aarons, Norwich City
It is fair to say that Spurs still haven’t filled the void left by Kyle Walker when the England international left for Manchester City in 2017.
Since Walker’s departure, Kieran Trippier has followed him out of the door to Atletico Madrid, while Serge Aurier is deemed too unreliable to hold down a regular starting spot.
With Kyle Walker-Peters set to move out on loan to a Premier League club, it leaves a void on the right side of Spurs’ defence which could be filled by Norwich defender Max Aarons.
The 20-year-old is one of the most exciting defensive prospects in the country and has featured heavily for Daniel Farke’s side in the Premier League this season.
However, the Canaries are currently sitting at the foot of the Premier League table and are one of the favourites to be relegated to the Championship, which would not match Aaron’s potential and ambitions of being one of England’s key defenders.
Norwich have slapped a £30m price tag on their star defender, which has alerted the interest of Spurs and German side Borussia Dortmund.
Potential price: £30 million
Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has been heavily linked with a move to Spurs over the last two seasons but the Eagles’ high valuation of their star asset has blocked the Ivorian’s exit from the club.
However, with Spurs’ striking options looking rather bare following Kane’s injury, Jose Mourinho could be tempted to meet Palace’s £80m asking price this month.
Spurs are also boosted by Zaha’s decision also boosted by Zaha’s decision this month as he looks to secure a move away from Selhurst Park.
Zaha sacked his former representative, Will Salterhouse, after he failed to engineer moves to Arsenal or Everton over the summer, with both clubs making significant offers to Palace in the last window.
Potential price: £80 million
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