For Tottenham Hotspur they will have been hoping for a seamless January. Thomas Frank would steer his side out of trouble, they'd go injury free and perhaps even sign a few players.
Well, it's been a nightmare start to 2026 for the Lilywhites. Frank's side are out of the FA Cup and have now only won one of their last seven games in all competitions.
The timing of Brennan Johnson's departure to Crystal Palace could not have been much worse either. While the Dane has defended the club's decision to cash in on the winger, they could have done with him now with Mohammed Kudus ruled out until April with a quad injury.
What that does mean, however, is that there is likely to be some excitement in the transfer window as Spurs hunt for replacements.
How the winter window is shaping up for Spurs
With Johnson gone and Kudus on the treatment table, a replacement is desired. They are reportedly keen on RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande but with an asking price soaring to around £100m, that one feels unlikely.
West Ham's Jarrod Bowen is another on their radar but his asking price, even if the Irons get relegated, would be a sizeable one.
As a result, the recruitment chiefs at Spurs may have to source cheaper alternatives. As it happens, their first move of the year is set to be a bargain addition to Frank's squad.
The name on the lips of supporters in recent days has been Brazilian full-back Souza. Last week it was revealed that Spurs had agreed a deal to sign the teenager from Santos in his homeland for a fee of around £13m.
Well, the move has now entered its final stages with reporter Ben Jacobs taking to social media late on Sunday night to reveal that the player is now heading to north London.
Jacobs said: "Souza will fly to England on Monday to complete his €15m move to Spurs. Five-year contract agreed."
While this isn't a move that will set the world alight initially, Spurs have been here before when it comes to making top-quality additions on the cheap. Dele Alli remains the best example.
In the last few years Tottenham have made impressive efforts to build for the future. While the managerial merry-go-round may hamper things behind the scenes, on the field there are a number of top drawer young talents making a name for themselves.
In the middle of the park Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall look like they could become Premier League mainstays. Both 19 years of age, they are two of the finest teen talents to don the Spurs jersey since they headed to their new stadium.
Elsewhere, you have some impressive talent brewing in the academy with Luca Williams-Barnett earning rave reviews. He even earned his first-team debut at the age of just 16 a few months ago.
Those players, and indeed Souza, are all hoping to follow Dele's path to success. Souza, in particular, feels like the one who could best replicate those accomplishments.
Back in 2015, a young Dele moved from MK Dons to Spurs in a deal worth just £5m. At the time he was just 18-year-old and having arrived in January, was sent back on loan to the EFL side to further his development.
It's safe to say he didn't look back, playing 269 times in Spurs colours, famously scoring as many as 22 goals in all competitions throughout the 2016/17 campaign.
Signed for a very modest fee, Dele wasted no time becoming one of the best young players in the country. That was until it all fell away. We know how things ended there, it's a sad tale.
Yet, at his peak, the attacking midfielder was one of the most exciting players in English football. Considering Spurs only parted company with £5m, it feels like MK Dons were made to look rather foolish.
Well, given his potential, Souza could be set to make his price tag look like a bargain, just as Dele did.
Just 19 years of age, the Brazilian sensation is a similar age to Dele when he first moved to Spurs, only he doesn't have any experience of English football just yet. What he does have, though, is quality in abundance.
Speaking about the Brazilian gem, South American football expert Tim Vickery said last week on talkSPORT: "It's terrific business. I like him very much. He's a good left-back. Physically strong, skilful, a good footballer. He can defend, he can attack.
"He's come through his first season which has been really difficult because Santos were fighting against relegation and it's a tough ask at Santos, because you've got all of that history and tradition of Pele but it's a club that represents a relatively small city in Brazil. They're really up against it but you've got all the demands, so it's a tough support base to play in front of and he's done really, really well."
So, like Dele once upon a time, it would appear that Souza is already ready to make an impact at first-team level.
To thrive in the Premier League, you need an abundance of qualities, notably physical strength. To play as a full-back or wing-back in England, you also need to be tactically astute, a player who can rampage forward and progress play.
Souza may be different in position to the former MK Dons star, but they share a likeminded ability to want to get the ball forward as quickly as possible. Also both signed for bargain fees and ready to take the Premier League by storm, there are plenty of reasons for Spurs to be excited about this one.
They have acquired several young talents since a wide-eyed Dele made his move 11 years ago but Souza looks like one of the finest since. After all, as the aforementioned Vickery put it, "he's on Ancelotti's radar as a left-back for Brazil" and you don't get earmarked for the Selecao at that age without being a mighty fine player.