Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has led his side through an excellent run of form on paper since he replaced Ange Postecoglou last summer, but the Dane still has a few weak areas he needs to address with the help of co-sporting directors Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici.
Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange appointed as Tottenham transfer duo
On Wednesday, the Lilywhites finally announced Paratici's long-awaited return to N17 as an official employee, with CEO Vinai Venkatesham electing to follow through on the Italian's appointment after Daniel Levy's departure briefly threatened the move.
The transfer chief, who played a major role in the signings of Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pedro Porro and Djed Spence, among others, joins forces with Lange as the pair tackle Spurs' recruitment drive together.
“I firmly believe we are building something special here at Tottenham Hotspur, and I am looking forward to working with Fabio as part of our new men’s football structure," Lange said after Paratici's reappointment in North London.
“We have a talented group of staff and players here at the Club, and we can look forward with confidence and positivity.”
This significant change in the boardroom comes almost immediately after the Lewis family pumped £100 million of new capital into the club last week, with Tottenham clearly building the foundations for what they hope will be a successful era post-Levy.
In the build up to January, Lange and Paratici, who had been working as a consultant for months prior to his official return, have already been tipped to bolster a few key areas of the squad.
Tottenham are believed to be targeting a new centre-back and winger, after failing to sign Savinho in the summer, with a prolific striker also on the agenda amid reports that they've held discussions over Juventus star Dušan Vlahović.
Spurs were admirers of the Serbia international during Paratici's last spell at N17 in his previous managing director role (Sky Sports), and the 53-year-old's ties to Juve could potentially reopen that door.
Meanwhile, there are some concerns from critics over goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who's come under fire recently for a lack of command in his area when dealing with crosses.
This nearly resulted in Joe Rodon scoring for Leeds in their last match before the international break, but it is worth noting that Vicario also pulled off a string of excellent saves at Elland Road.
Antonin Kinsky drops off in Tottenham training amid Vicario concerns
When asked if Spurs should be looking at an alternative goalkeeper in January, BBC journalist Sami Mokbel moved to defend the Italian in a Q&A — whilst also making an intriguing claim about Antonin Kinsky and an alleged drop-off behind-the-scenes.
"I think Vicario is an excellent modern day goalkeeper," Mokbel said.
"I get your point for sure, there have been moments when he's appeared susceptible in his own area – particularly when his area is congested. But as a shot-stopper he is very good and he is comfortable in possession, which is a key component for goalkeepers in today's game.
"I don't believe a new goalkeeper will be a priority for Tottenham anytime soon. With regards to Kinsky – he made a very promising start to life at Spurs when he arrived in January. He played regularly under then manager Ange Postecoglou because Vicario was a long-term injury absentee.
"But I've been told that his performances dropped off, even in training, once Vicario moved closer to fitness. That certainly raised an alarm for the previous coaching team."
The 22-year-old is still very much in his infancy when it comes to goalkeeping years, and Vicario's comeback unfortunately spelled the end of his brief run in the team.
Starting for Spurs regularly after his £12.5 million move from Slavia Prague last January was a very exciting time for the Czech ace. Taking that into account, Vicario's emerging presence would've undoubtedly demotivated him — knowing that a return to the bench was imminent.