In what was a relatively quiet January transfer window in the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou and Spurs remained active.
Pushing for a return to the Champions League, the Lilywhites signed Timo Werner from RB Leipzig on an initial loan, but Spurs' entire outlay went on centre-back Radu Dragusin, who joined from Genoa and was the most expensive addition of the window.
Already, though, Daniel Levy is hard at work on plans for the summer, and Spurs are reportedly eyeing an ambitious swoop for a player who only joined Real Madrid in 2023.
Spurs keen on Guler deal
According to reports in Spain, Spurs are showing "a firm interest" in signing Arda Guler from Real Madrid. Alongside Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen, they are the "main candidates" to land him, be it on loan or on a permanent deal.
Spurs have built a "strong relationship" with the player's camp, which could be key, and there's a feeling that Guler may be bumped down the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu by the new faces that arrive in the off-season.
Real unlikely to give up "diamond" Guler permanently
Real paid €20m (about £17m) to sign Guler from Fenerbahce during last summer's transfer window after a hotly-contested transfer race that also featured Manchester City, PSG and, above all, El Clasico rivals Barcelona.
However, he's only been able to play 89 minutes for Los Blancos this season, having been out until November through injury. He's made four appearances in all competitions so far, two in La Liga (substitute outings against Las Palmas in late January and against Girona last weekend). Carlo Ancelotti gave him his full debut away to fourth-tier Arandina in the Copa del Rey shortly after the turn of the year, and he then featured in the Supercopa de Espana semifinal against Atletico.
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Guler has been named in the matchday squad for all 10 games this year, so it could be unlikely for Real to consider letting him go permanently at this stage after fighting so hard to sign him. A loan move, however, could suit all parties.
Last season at Fenerbahce, Guler scored or assisted 13 goals in 35 appearances as a 17-year-old, averaging a direct involvement every 119 minutes. He's already earned four caps for the Turkish national team and opened his account with a stunning goal in a 2-0 win over Wales last June, becoming the fourth-youngest scorer in the country's history.
Player
Club
Firas Al-Buraikan
Al-Fateh/A-Ahli
Saud Abdulhamid
Al-Hilal
Omar Fayed
Fenerbahce
Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid/Borussia Dortmund
Moises Caicedo
Brighton/Chelsea
Enzo Fernandez
Benfica/Chelsea
Gavi
Barcelona
Arda Guler
Fenerbahce/Real Madrid
Josko Gvardiol
RB Leipzig/Man City
Lamine Yamal
FC Barcelona
Dubbed a "diamond" by team-mate Joselu, he was nominated for Globe Soccer's Emerging Player award in 2023 alongside some of the best young talents in the game, and he also made the final 25-man shortlist Golden Boy prize. If Spurs give him an adequate platform to shine, he could be an excellent addition for the 2024/25 season.