Spurs Transfers: 5 January Signings To Save Their Season

3. Juan Mata

After selling Gareth Bale for a world-record transfer fee in the summer, Tottenham brought in a raft of new players, including midfielders Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Paulinho. Of that trio, you could only really say the latter has stepped up to the mark and delivered. Former player and candidate to replace Villas-Boas, Glenn Hoddle, said back in September that Spurs need a sprinkling of stardust to compensate for Bale's loss, and that "sprinkling of stardust" could come in the way of Juan Mata, the out of favour Chelsea star. You could argue that Bale has not been adequately replaced at White Hart Lane but Mata's potential arrival would certainly be a step in the right direction there. The Spaniard has found himself down in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge behind Oscar and Eden Hazard, falling in and out of the team since the start of the season, while manager Jose Mourinho has an embarrassment of midfield riches in west London, and it could be Mata is deemed surplus to requirement in January.