Tottenham Hotspur wouldn't have been feeling too festive after losing another home game against Liverpool before Christmas, and Thomas Frank knows improvements are needed heading into 2026.
Things have been said about the culture down N17 - or lack thereof. Spurs have recycled a fair few managers in recent years, and Frank's assertion that he needs time to put things to rights is an understandable one.
But improvements are needed all the same, with 2025 a dire year in the Premier League for the north Londoners, picking up only 36 points from as many matches across the annual year, ten wins and 20 defeats.
This needs to change, and in order to do so, ENIC Group are looking to make some changes in the January transfer window.
The changes Spurs want to make in January
Tottenham need to recode their frontline heading into the New Year, with too many forwards flattering to deceive. Among them is Brennan Johnson, who looks likely to inch toward a loan transfer to Crystal Palace in January.
Johnson has fallen to the fringes this year. The Welshman is a potent forward, but his overall game leaves much to be desired, with FBref even recording that he ranks among the bottom 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.63).
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
Spurs need more dynamism down the wings, and no one can say that the Lewis Family lack ambition as they set their sights on Juventus' prized player.
According to Tutto Juve, Kenan Yildiz is attracting interest from London's heavyweights: Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham. The 20-year-old is an elite talent, and though Juve are persistent in their bid to tie him down to a new deal, his £5m-per-year salary demands have opened the door for a switch to the Premier League.
The Old Lady aren't going to let him caper off easily, though, and have already placed a staggering £88m price tag on his head.
Why Kenan Yildiz would be perfect for Spurs
Yildiz is young, but he is also immense. The silky, fleet-footed attacking midfielder has been declared a "generational" Turkish talent by journalist Cetin Cem Yilmaz.
He has scored five goals and supplied four assists in Serie A this season, running roughshod over the division's defences as he blends power and precision with an ability to influence across different positions, dangerous centrally and out wide.
While Yildiz is more effective on the left flank, he is two-footed and versatile. So is Johnson, in fairness, though the Wales superstars lack even a portion of Yildiz's all-encompassing talent, as can be seen through the wingers' respective metrics this season.
It is not accuracy in the final third that has been Tottenham's fatal flaw this year, but creativity and player-to-player synergy. Yildiz's arrival would only lift them to the next level, and every stop must be pulled in the bid to sign him.
Given that Mohammed Kudus has made the right channel his own, Yildiz could do the same on the left, bringing his pace and natural flair in the danger area.
He hasn't stepped into the Premier League, often difficult for up-and-comers from overseas, but Yildiz wins many duels and has a physicality which underpins his technical skill. He would be a success in Johnson's stead.
Tottenham will only go so far under Frank's wing without effective, calculated transfer assistance. Director Johan Lange no doubt has a sprawling list of attacking midfielders to strengthen the squad, but Yildiz might just be the cream of the crop, certainly an upgrade on soon-to-depart Johnson.