Mauricio Pochettino fears the January transfer window will not produce a quick fix to lift Tottenham’s spirits.
The market opens in two and a half weeks but there is uncertainty at Spurs, where head of recruitment Paul Mitchell is serving a 16-month notice period as a successor is sought.
International scout Ian Broomfield, lured back to White Hart Lane from Queens Park Rangers in 2014, was also released last week at the end of his contract.
This, along with the financial pressure of a new £450million stadium and free-spending Premier League rivals, makes the winter window a challenge for Tottenham as they pursue ambitions to return to the Champions League.