The agony of crashing out of the FA Cup at the hand of holders Manchester City might still be fresh in the minds of the Tottenham Hotspur faithful but there is plenty to be positive about, with Ange Postecoglou doing some stellar work since his summer appointment.
Injuries hampered a blistering start to the campaign but key players – Micky van de Ven and James Maddison – have returned to action this month, complemented by the winter acquisitions of centre-back Radu Dragusin and former Chelsea forward Timo Werner (on loan).
Now, fifth in the Premier League and just three points behind Arsenal and Aston Villa above, Spurs are looking to finish the winter window with a flourish and welcome a new centre-midfielder.
Scores of names have been thrown about but there is one above all else that remains the top of Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy's shopping list, and with the market just days away from closing, it really is crunch time down N17.
Spurs eyeing Premier League star
At the end of August, on deadline day, Tottenham failed with a £40m offer for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher but have not been dissuaded in their transfer efforts and have been prodding and probing this month.
Last week, Football Insider revealed that Spurs have been planning to mount a stunning last-gasp bid this month to secure their city rival's star, though Chelsea had placed an £80m price tag on his signature to swat Spurs away.
Well, that doesn't really look to have worked, with reputable source The Times now corroborating past reports on Monday evening with the news that Spurs are planning a late approach with Chelsea still willing to sell the 23-year-old.
Gallagher lined up & Richarlison dropped in Spurs' dream XI after January
If Ange had his way, two more additions would be welcomed to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this month.
ByAngus Sinclair
The Blues had demanded £50m in the summer and, despite conflicting figures, were Levy to arrange such an offer then things could move pretty quickly in the capital over the coming days.
Conor Gallagher would be perfect for Yves Bissouma
The feasibility of a dramatic crescendo to the window relies on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's departure, though that looks unlikely given that the Denmark international's lawyer has stated that his client wishes to stay put for now.
Nonetheless, nothing is certain in football and especially so in the late stages of a transfer market; Tottenham are quite clearly invested in pursuing a deal for Gallagher and will push for any openings, lodging a formal bid to test the waters.
And what an underrated player Postecoglou would get his hands on, with Gallagher praised for instilling "balance and chemistry" in the Stamford Bridge engine room.
It's this cohesive aura that is at the core of Spurs' interest, with his qualities considered perfect to complement the existing options at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, perhaps ensuring that Malian machine Yves Bissouma, who is currently competing at the African Cup of Nations.
Bissouma signed for Tottenham from Brighton & Hove Albion in a £25m deal back in 2022 and flattered to deceive during his first term at the club, starting just ten times in the top flight and missing much of the latter half of the campaign with an ankle injury, with journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke claiming that he needed to "take more responsibility" after numerous forgettable displays.
Back with a vengeance this season, Bissouma has been in barnstorming form that, admittedly, does need toning down and shaping a little bit, having missed five matches due to suspension, but none can argue against the monstrous weight of his efforts in the centre of the park.
As per FBref, the 27-year-old ranks among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 5% for passes attempted, the top 7% for successful take-ons, the top 3% for tackles and the top 17% for interceptions per 90.
Defensive contribution
Finishing
Passing
Discipline
Key passes
Tackling
Such remarkable metrics denote a tough-tackling expertise and an immense command of his duties, controlling the traffic in the middle and squashing opposition in their attempts to break on goal.
Perfect counterbalance
So how would Gallagher elevate such qualities higher? Well, as per Sofascore, the England international has completed 91% of his passes across 20 matches in the Premier League this season, racking up four assists and averaging 1.4 key passes, 2.7 tackles. 6.9 ball recoveries and 5.8 successful duels per game.
An all-encompassing machine, the £50k-per-week Chelsea ace would work in tandem with Bissouma, counterbalancing his skill set, to fuel Tottenham's attacking endeavours with his multi-functionality, described as a "pressing and transition monster" by one hawk-eyed analyst.
Moreover, Bissouma ranks among the bottom 44% of midfielders for touches in the attacking box and the bottom 9% for progressive passes received per 90.
Gallagher, in comparison, ranks among the top 11% per 90 for both statistics directly above, though considering that he is such a reliable defensive tool too, it certainly appears that the 5 foot 11 midfielder has found the kind of balance that has left Spurs with such a vested interest in his services.
This delineation is basically illuminating the force of nature that Bissouma is in his defensive duties, dispossessing antagonists with bone-shaking ferocity and then placing passes for his peers with superlative precision, and how, given that he rarely drifts away from the anchor of the midfield, Gallagher would flourish.
Moises Caicedo has not been sensational since his British-record £115m transfer to Stamford Bridge in August but he is one of the most exciting defensive midfielders in the business and has completed 92% of his passes this season, averaging 2.2 tackles and 5.0 recoveries and 4.1 ground duels per game – winning just 52% of the latter.
The Ecuadorian is similarly pinned to the centremost area of the pitch and this has allowed Gallagher, who has been praised for his "relentless" output and energy by The Athletic's Mike Stavrou, to shine.
This term, Bissouma has completed 91% of his passes, averaged 3.3 tackles, 4.8 recoveries and 6.5 ground duels per fixture, crucially, winning 61% of said duels – superior in his performance to his Chelsea counterpart.
Moises Caicedo
Chelsea
Declan Rice
Arsenal
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Tottenham Hotspur
Given the success that Gallagher is having right now in a Chelsea team that has not clicked quite as Spurs have under their Australian manager, it's clear that Postecoglou understands the success that would be found in a successful swoop.
Is it surprising that he is so fervently fought for this month? With Bissouma, arguably better than Caicedo this season, partnering Gallagher in the Spurs centre, the pendulum might just swing and stick in the north London club's favour, providing Postecoglou with the tools to sculpt a new era bathed in silver.