OPINION
Tottenham fans will not have been fooled by Sunday’s last-gasp Premier League win against Fulham.
A weakened team came from behind to beat the Cottagers 2-1 away from home but they needed a stoppage-time header from Harry Winks to get them over the line as Dele Alli joined their mounting injury list.
With senior players dropping like flies and Mousa Dembele sold to China last week, the need for reinforcements for the third-placed Premier League side could not be more acute.
Spurs have done remarkably well to be four points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea three weeks into January, but supporters are more eager than ever for new signings.
They will not have massive hopes due to Mauricio Pochettino’s updates, the club’s cash restrictions as they finance a near-£1billion new stadium and last summer’s fallow window.
But high-profile pundit and ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp has provided fresh hope that the club are active in the market and looking to pull off something major before the 31 January cut-off.
“There’s no doubt that they are going to be working hard behind the scenes now to get some players in,” Redknapp told Sky Sports in the aftermath of their win at Fulham. “There will be players available to loan or buy but you’ve got to be clever in the market because it’s not in Daniel Levy’s make-up to want to get someone who charges too much for a player – he’d rather not do it.
“But now it is a case of needs must because, although it was such a big three points, you don’t want to slip out of that top four. You’ve got so many big games coming up and you need to try and find some players.”
Can Spurs bring in the players they need? An attacker with pace and mobility will provide further cutting edge, while a central midfielder of top quality must be top of the recruitment team’s shopping list.
Lilywhites have had their fingers burned before, not least last summer when they were stunned at the failure to strengthen the team by the club’s hierarchy.
The well-connected Redknapp’s claim will be getting fans excited with 10 days of the window remaining.