Tottenham must focus all of their January funds on one position

Every Tottenham fans want to see the club strengthen their starting XI in January. The truth is, Spurs only have one weak spot in their starting lineup.

The idea that Tottenham are going to be big spenders in January is starting to gather steam amongst pundits and Spurs supporters alike. That’s a great idea, in theory, but in practice, it’s going to be rather difficult for Mauricio Pochettino to substantially improve his starting XI.

His squad may not be perfect, but it’s well stocked at almost every starting position. The chances of Tottenham replacing Harry Kane with a different starting striker are non-existent. Purchasing a quality backup would be nice, but this piece is only addressing the potential to improve Pochettino’s starting XI.

His attacking midfield spots are also spoken for. Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli are nearly automatic starters when they’re healthy. Lucas Moura’s recent emergence has him at the top of Tottenham’s team sheet. That doesn’t even allow for Erik Lamela or Son Heung-Min to make their way into the lineup. Buying a player worthy of knocking Lucas, Lamela and Son all out of the way would be more expensive than Spurs are willing to pay.

Centre back is another spot where Pochettino has quality options. Picking two players from the trio of Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez is already an issue for Spurs. Spending big on a central defender isn’t going to happen in January.

Some might argue that securing a new starting fullback is a possibility, but that does look unlikely. Kieran Trippier and Serge Aurier have combined to make a solid right back pairing this year. Danny Rose’s recent improvement at left back bodes well for his pairing with Ben Davies. Securing a big name left back is within the realm of possibility for Spurs, but it’s not overly likely.

That leaves the midfield as the obvious place where Tottenham need to make serious investment. The group, on the whole, has struggled this season. Adding one, or perhaps even two players capable of earning starts in the middle of the pitch would be massive for Pochettino.

Even if Spurs can’t buy a player with the quality and maturity to immediate replace Mousa Dembele in the lineup, they need to acquire his ultimate successor. He’s almost certainly going to leave the club this summer. Pochettino is playing him too many minutes as it is. Acquiring a legitimate two-way midfielder should be priority No. 1 for Spurs in January.

Of course, those sorts of players don’t grow on trees. Tottenham don’t have the financial power to secure someone like Jorginho in all likelihood. It’s still wise for Spurs to concentrate their funds on signing one, relatively, proven commodity. It’s too early to speculate as to exactly who that player might be, but quality players will become available once January approaches.

It’s not an exaggeration to say it should be midfield starter or bust for Spurs in January. It’s the one place where they can legitimately strengthen their starting XI without spending a small fortune. They need to buy the right player, but he’s surely going to be out there.