Alan Shearer believes that Tottenham’s prospects this season could hinge on what they do during the January transfer window.

After three Premier League wins in a row against Coventry City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace, Tottenham were brought crashing down to earth by Leeds on Saturday.

The Lilywhites did not enjoy as much control of the game as they have had over most matches this season, with Noah Okafor’s 79th-minute goal coming on the back of a sustained period of Leeds pressure in the second half.

The performance showed that De Zerbi’s men have not completely turned a corner just yet, and there are still some big holes to fill in their squad.

Alan Shearer says Tottenham need to sign a top-class striker in January

For the fifth time in 10 Premier League matches, Tottenham failed to find the back of the net on Saturday.

Summer signing Omar Marmoush and the club’s previous record signing Dominic Solanke have only delivered two league goals between them so far this term.

Shearer believes that the Lilywhites are desperate for a centre-forward who can consistently put the ball in the back of the net, and suggested that De Zerbi’s men will endure a frustrating season if they do not land a top striker in January.

“Unless they get someone in January who’s going to give them that extra bit of quality in the centre-forward position, then I just think they’ll keep on banging their head against a brick wall. I mean, I thought they were poor yesterday, Spurs. I was expecting so much more from them.”

D. Solanke v H. Kane

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Spurs are prepared to spend big on the right striker in January

This comes just a couple of days after two reliable sources made a surprising claim about what Tottenham’s plans are for the number nine role in January.

One of those was Spurs insider Paul O’Keefe, who claimed that the Lilywhites are prepared to splash the cash on the right striker in January despite their heavy spending in the summer.

The same information was backed up by David Ornstein, who said that Tottenham are ready to pay the big bucks if they find an ideal option to lead the line in January.

However, The Athletic journalist also discussed the lack of quality strikers on the market in Europe and the difficulty of finding such a player mid-season.