When Tottenham Hotspur took to the pitch against Chelsea in the Premier League earlier this month, there was an air of invincibility surrounding Ange Postecoglou's team, who had defied pre-season predictions to soar into early title contention.
While Spurs fell by the wayside last year and finished in eighth place, it was clear that the squad was performing below its ability and the Australian manager's appointment has worked wonders.
Instilling confidence and style back into the London club, Postecoglou has claimed all three Premier League Manager of the Month awards so far, making history as the first manager to complete a hat-trick across his first 12 weeks.
But the ice is thin down the N17 and Tottenham are not blessed with the thickest of squads in the division, with recent defeats against Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers exposing this talented crop's frailties.
The January transfer window can remedy the issues, but chairman Daniel Levy and Postecoglou will need to get it right, making a few impactful signings across different positions.
Tottenham transfer news – Raphinha
Following a report from Spanish publication AS earlier this week, Tottenham 'have not forgotten' Barcelona winger Raphinha's performances in the Premier League with Leeds United and are interested in completing a January swoop.
While the Brazilian winger has not quite cut the mustard in Catalonia following his £55m transfer from Elland Road in 2022, Gavi's season-ending injury suffered with Spain could force Xavi to field Raphinha from inside.
But Football Transfers revealed this month that Spurs were ready to drop their interest in Ivan Toney to secure the 26-year-old's signature, with Barcelona willing to do business for €70m (£61m).
Raphinha's style of play
In his Premier League days, Raphinha was one of the finest forwards in England and earned acclaim for his dynamic displays, especially during Leeds' brilliant 2020/21 campaign, after returning to the top flight after 16 seasons away.
Indeed, as the Whites secured a ninth-placed Premier finish on their return, and Raphinha was instrumental in whipping up six goals and nine assists across 30 league appearances, posting 11 goals and three assists the next year.
As per FBref, Raphinha ranks among the top 18% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 14% for assists, the top 25% for shot-creating actions and the top 9% for passes attempted per 90.
Once described as a "magician" by former Whites teammate Dan James, his protean attacking talents and creativity have proved successful before in the Premier League, and because of this, the £210k-per-week whiz could be perfect for the Lilywhites' system, especially with Pedro Porro charging his exploits from behind.
Porro ebbed and flowed from form last season after joining from Sporting Lisbon on an initial loan in January (with the £39m buy option now activated), even rebuked for his "absolutely disgusting" positioning by erstwhile Spurs manager Tim Sherwood.
This season though, the buccaneering Spaniard has come alive and been immense for his side, with The Athletics' Charlie Eccleshare even waxing over his "titanic" performances.
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Porro ranks among the top 10% of full-backs for goals, the top 12% for assists, the top 14% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for tackles and the top 1% for blocks per 90, highlighting the rounded skill set that would enhance Raphinha's chances of succeeding.
Not only is he progressive and effective in the final third, with his range of direct and supporting threat, but he is growing as a defensive force and the protection that he will offer only bolsters Raphinha's chances of impressing.
Player
Club
Antony
Manchester United
Samuel Chukwueze
AC Milan
Steven Bergwijn
Ajax Amsterdam
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Napoli
Memphis Depay
Atletico Madrid
*Sourced via Football Transfers
Given the Barca star's semblance to former Spurs winger Steven Bergwijn – as per Football Transfers – perhaps this could present an opportunity to rectify the wrongs from that particular deal, with the 26-year-old never really finding his feet in north London.
Steven Bergwijn's record at Tottenham
Having plundered five goals and ten assists across just 16 Eredivisie outings at the midpoint of the 2019/20 campaign, Tottenham were enticed by Bergwijn's ability and completed an initial £25m swoop.
Across 83 outings for Spurs, the dynamo only managed to score eight goals and supply ten assists, never quite providing the kind of prolificness to warrant the price tag.
That being said, Bergwijn is blessed with a strong base, celestial athleticism and lightning speed, and really did look like he was the one to propel Spurs to new heights.
He didn't, but his skill set was a big factor in the acquisition and Spurs could now rectify that with a move for Raphinha, who might not boast the same raw pace but offers similarities to strengthen Spurs' attacking efforts.
Bergwijn said that he was "glad everything is over" when he moved back to his homeland to join the Ajax fold, which highlights the sourness of his time in the Premier League.
Spurs might have recuperated £26m from his sale, ultimately sparing any sense of financial despair, but he flattered to deceive and largely failed to make an impact – though he did famously score twice off the bench in a dramatic late turnaround against Leicester City to win 3-2 in the 2021/22 campaign, though he only scored one other goal in the league that year.
While Dejan Kulusevski is an excellent player and has been among Postecoglou's most important tools this season, a player of Raphinha's ilk could be the perfect foil, opening up a whole new dimension to the team.
And considering the fact that Tottenham are hoping to qualify for next term's Champions League, such depth will be paramount, with the vision of silver-laden success in years to come only facilitated through such work on the transfer front.
Given the similarities between Raphinha and Bergwijn, it might be a move worth making; while the Dutchman's time at the club didn't really work out, he fit the profile on surface value.
Raphinha has already proved his worth on English soil, and handed a prominent role in a blooming Spurs side, he might just return to his very best form.