Tottenham Hotspur have settled on a five-man shortlist as they look to add more goals to their forward line during the January window.

Spurs have found the back of the net just three times in their six league matches so far, comfortably the lowest in the Premier League, which is certainly not something one would expect from a Roberto De Zerbi side.

The issue is not a lack of chances, with Tottenham demonstrating over the last few games, especially during the first half, that they are capable of breaking down the opposition and fashioning opportunities.

However, the Lilywhites have simply not been clinical enough in front of goal, which is why it has been widely reported that signing a number nine is a priority for Spurs in January.

Tottenham have shortlisted five strikers, including one Premier League star

TEAMtalk have now claimed that the North London club have already done their homework and arrived at a shortlist of number nines ahead of the January window.

Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis is one of the leading options after scoring 14 goals in 13 appearances so far this season, with Spurs’ scouts having been impressed by the Greek international.

Espanyol striker Roberto Fernandez has also climbed rapidly up Spurs’ wishlist after his impressive start to the season saw him break into the Spanish national side during the recent international break.

Real Madrid starlet Endrick remains on the Lilywhites’ radar, as the forward continues to struggle for game time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The report backs up what other sources have reported over recent weeks by revealing that Tottenham are also fans of Freiburg centre-forward Igor Matanovic.

Finally, it is revealed that Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta is also seen as a more readily available Premier League alternative as the forward looks to seal an exit from Selhurst Park.

Jose Mourinho hands Spurs a big blow in Endrick pursuit

Earlier this week, it was reported that Real Madrid had decided to loan out Endrick in January after the youngster expressed frustration at the lack of minutes this season.

However, the rumour over the forward’s future has quickly been shot down by Jose Mourinho, who made it clear that the Spurs target will not be loaned out.

When asked about the speculation over the 20-year-old’s future, the Madrid boss simply responded: “Mark my words again, it is impossible for Endrick to be loaned out”.

One would think that such an emphatic statement almost certainly rules out the possibility of Spurs poaching the Brazilian from Los Blancos in January.