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Tottenham failed to make a single signing this season. Clearly, the board believed they were strong enough to challenge for the title already, and although Spurs have found themselves in respectable third place with eight games to go, it's certainly not the position they were hoping for.
To make matters worse, they're now 13 points behind the team above them (Manchester City), so the chances of winning that elusive Premier League title seems to have slipped away once again.
The board must now realise that the team needs to bolstered if they stand a chance of really competing with the likes of City and Liverpool next season. With that in mind, here are nine players that could make a world of difference to the squad ahead of the 2019/2020 campaign.
#9 Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon)
Tanguy Ndombele is a 22-year-old central midfielder who currently plays for Olympique Lyon in Ligue 1. He also plays for France's national team, having been featured in four matches since his debut in October.
Ndombele's meteoric rise came out of nowhere. He started playing for SC Amiens first team just over two years ago in 2016, but within a year, Ndombele was granted a loan move to Lyon. He impressed and was to be signed for £7m in the summer of 2018. Since this purchase, Ndombele's market value has multiplied by seven, marking him out as one of the top young stars to watch out for in Europe.
The French international is very much in and of the same mould as Naby Keita or N'Golo Kante, insofar as he's strong, quick, and agile on the ball. He can play defensively like Kante, or further up the pitch in an attacking role like Keita. Though, of course, whilst his style is a mix of the two, he has his own elements which differ from them - his height and heading ability, for instance.
With a value of around £45m, Ndombele won't come cheap, but many would argue that it's a fair price to pay given what he could bring to a team like Spurs next season.
#8 Franck Kessie (AC Milan)
Franck Kessie is a 22-year-old central midfielder who currently plays for AC Milan in Serie A. He has also represented Ivory Coast's national side 27 times since his debut in September 2014.
Kessie spent the beginning of his career with Atalanta, progressing through their youth set-up before finally being given a chance in the first team. He played well and soon became a fixture in the starting eleven. Naturally, his superb performances as a teenager forced other clubs to stop and admire, which encouraged AC Milan to make an investment before anyone else.
Milan signed Kessie on a season-long loan with the obligation to buy for around £21m; he'll officially become a Milan player this summer.
Kessie is just the sort of player Spurs need in their midfield right now; he's strong, dynamic and can spray passes out in an instant. Not only can he play in the centre of the pitch, but he's also adept at the defensive midfielder role, as well as centre-back. This versatility makes him a very valuable player to have.
Spurs will need to spend around £40m to secure Kessie's signature, however, which might put their chairman, Daniel Levy, who's known for being shrewd with cash, off the deal entirely. But given how much he would bring to the team, it'll be difficult for Levy to look the other way.
#7 Carlos Soler (Valencia CF)
Carlos Soler is a 22-year-old right midfielder who currently plays for Valencia in La Liga. He has represented Spain's U21 side a total of 15 times, and has been called up to the first team as well but is yet to make his debut.
Soler has been with Valencia the entirety of his career, having developed in their youth academy before progressing through the U19s and Valencia B. He finally made his first team debut in January 2017 and has been regarded as one of the best players to have come out of Valencia's youth system in a long time.
He starts most games for Valencia nowadays and has featured in 22 so far this season, notching up 5 assists in the process.
It's clear that he's a player with a bright future ahead of him, and this is reflected in his market value of around £30m. But for a team trying to pry Soler away from his boyhood club, they should expect to pay considerably higher.
Although Moussa Sissoko and Lucas occasionally play out on the right flank, neither are out-and-out right midfielders; however, Soler is. There's no doubt that if Soler was to be signed, Sissoko would be swiftly replaced.
#6 Malcom (Barcelona)
Malcom is a 22-year-old right winger who currently plays for Barcelona in La Liga. He has featured for Brazil's U23s and was called up to the main squad, but is yet to make his debut.
When Barcelona swooped in for Malcom in the summer of 2018, I think everybody thought that they'd found their new Neymar. At Bordeaux, he was simply outstanding; each and every week he seemed to dismantle teams by himself, with his rapid pace rendering him untouchable and his eye for goal leaving goalkeepers flummoxed.
However, the reality has been a different story entirely. He has only featured in eight games for Barcelona this season, and although injury was partly to blame, he's also been left out the squad entirely at times when he was fit. Perhaps it's a case of being surplus to requirements, but Malcom is understandably struggling to come to terms with the consistent exclusion.
This is where Spurs could save the day. As stated previously, they're in need of a player who can perform magic out on the right flank, and Malcom would be ideal. The fact he's unsettled will only make the transfer smoother, too.
In terms of pricing, he's likely to have a market value between £30m and £40m. But, with Barcelona probably trying to aim for a profit on what they paid (£37m), £40m sounds more likely.
#5 Jarrod Bowen (Hull City)
Jarrod Bowen is a 22-year-old right winger who plays for Hull City in the Championship. He hasn't been selected to play for his national team (England) yet.
Perhaps a slightly surprising inclusion on this list, Jarrod Bowen is an up-and-coming talent in England's second-tier division who's rapidly making a name for himself as one to watch
Bowen is a solid fixture in Hull City's starting eleven and has made a total of 37 appearances so far this season, scoring 18 goals and assisting three.
Whilst his strongest position is out on the right flank, a position Spurs need to strengthen, he can also be utilised as a second striker, or on the opposite flank, as he's strong with both feet.
Bowen would be an affordable alternative to the likes of Malcom and Soler. With a market value of around £7m, Spurs could develop and mould him to suit their set-up now, so that he can be a long-term option for the club.
#4 Dennis Man (FSCB)
Dennis Man is a 20-year-old right winger who currently plays for FSCB in Liga 1 (Romanian first tier division). He has also featured for Romania's national team twice since his debut in March 2018.
Widely expected to develop into something special, Dennis Man plays a pivotal part in his team's success. He's played 24 times this season, scoring 7 goals and assisting a further four.
Man is only of many right wingers on this list, as that's the type of player Spurs are hunting for right now, but he's also been utilised as an attacking midfielder and a second striker in the past, too.
With a market value of only £3m, Daniel Levy might deem this as an absolute bargain for a player with such huge potential. Personally, I think Spurs should sign Man even if he is surplus to requirements, as they could very easily develop him and sell him on at a heavy mark-up price.
#3 Thomas Strakosha (Lazio)
Thomas Strakosha is a 24-year-old goalkeeper who currently plays for Lazio in Serie A. He also represents the Albanian national team, having made eight appearances since his debut in March 2017.
With only Hugo Lloris as Spurs' most reliable option between the sticks, it's natural that they're going to be looking to bring in another top-rated goalkeeper to challenge him for the role. At the moment, Spurs have Paulo Gazzaniga and Michel Vorm as relatively realistic back-up options, but neither is truly up to par with the rest of the Tottenham squad.
Strakosha is a key player in the Lazio squad and has a made a total of 27 appearances so far this season, managing to keep eight clean sheets in the process.
Strakosha's market value is affordable, as it's expected to be between £18m and £25m. Nowadays, goalkeepers go for just as much as outfield players do, which is why clubs are trying to get them whilst they're still young enough to have a reasonable price tag; as soon as they reach their prime, they're out of reach for many teams.
#2 Hector Herrera (FC Porto)
Hector Herrera is a 28-year-old central midfielder who currently plays for FC Porto in Liga NOS. He has also featured for Mexico's national team a total of 70 times since first making his debut in October 2012.
Herrera is by far the most experienced player on this list, having played in Mexico for much of his career before his move to Portugal in the summer of 2013 for a fee close to £10m. He is currently the captain of Porto.
What Herrera could bring to the Tottenham midfield is an air of stability and level-headedness, which Spurs have appeared to lack in recent months. Most of their squad is quite young, so the experience is still being gained; however, for someone like Herrera, who's already done it all, to join the squad would make a world of difference.
Herrera's market value is estimated at around £20m, though for Spurs to buy him, it might be more realistic to expect a fee of around £25m.
#1 Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
Jack Grealish is a 23-year-old attacking midfielder who currently plays for Aston Villa in the Championship. He represented Ireland's national team up until their U21 side, before making the switch to play for England's U21s instead.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Grealish is by far the best player in the Aston Villa squad right now; he pulls the strings for the side every week, ensuring that his teammates are getting service and that he, personally, is scoring every so often, too.
What makes this transfer a strong possibility is the fact that Villa don't look as if they're going to get promoted to the Premier League anytime soon. They might be close to the playoff positions, but even if they do manage to miraculously get up, the way the team currently plays is bound to send them straight back down. Consequently, a player of Grealish's calibre will want Premier League action, which Spurs are able to offer.
Another factor that makes this more likely is his affordability; Grealish has a price tag of around £25m - chump change for a club of Spurs' size.
