Tottenham Hotspur supporters will be taking solace from their team's excellent Champions League campaign, having stormed into a top-eight finish to close out the group phase, thus avoiding an unwanted extra knockout round.
But that success is tempered by the many problems Thomas Frank's side are facing on the domestic front, having been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup while flattering to deceive in the Premier League, 14th after 23 matches.
Though ENIC Group have green-lit moves for Conor Gallagher and left-back Souza already this month, there remains an appetite for a new winger, but the recently-linked Raheem Sterling might not be the solution.
Spurs lining up move for new winger
There's no question that the Spurs fanbase is collectively fed up. Any joy from last year's Herculean effort to win the Europa League has tapered away by the return to miserable performances. The chances of winning silverware this season are negligible, and hopes of playing in Europe next year are dwindling away too.
It's difficult to see how Sterling will make a significant attacking impact. While the England winger is a free agent after his contract with Chelsea was terminated this month, he flattered to deceive on loan at Arsenal.
The 31-year-old pocketed an extortionate £325k-per-week salary at Stamford Bridge, and he'll want something not too far removed from that figure.
As it stands, Sterling looks like the most likely winger to strengthen Frank's side this winter.
However, according to The Independent's Miguel Delaney, Tottenham are prepared to rival Inter Milan for Al Ittihad winger Moussa Diaby, who is open to returning to Europe after leaving Aston Villa for Saudi Arabia in July 2024 for a £50m fee.
Tottenham want to sign the 26-year-old before the February 2nd deadline, but with Inter considered favourites and time running out, technical director Johan Lange is going to need to roll up his sleeves.
Why Spurs should sign Diaby
Diaby only spent two seasons in the Premier League, and while it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows during his spell with Aston Villa, the France international scored ten goals and supplied 11 assists across the 2023/24 campaign, helping the Villans to a remarkable Champions League finish.
While Sterling has more pedigree in the English game, it's worth reiterating that Diaby is still only 26, hailed for his "deadly" instinct in the final third by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Moving to Tottenham could be the perfect career move for him, opening up the possibility of becoming a talisman for a team crying out for artistic inspiration down the attacking wings.
His impressive link-up play and capacity on either side further underlines Tottenham's interest, and given that Mohammed Kudus is out for the next few months with a hamstring problem, this could be the order of the day for Frank as he pushes to resurrect his Spurs tenure.
Diaby, who was once praised as being "fearless" by Chronicle editor Aaron Stokes, hasn't scored with the greatest regularity in the Saudi Pro League, but he has starred in a playmaking role, notching 27 assists across 53 matches, scoring eight goals too.
However, looking at how the Frenchman performed during his final term in the Premier League might act as a more accurate gauge of how he would impact the north London side, especially when collating that information against Raheem Sterling's performances with Arsenal last year.
Sterling was once a menace, so purposeful and slippery as he wove into the danger area for Manchester City. He won it all under Pep Guardiola's management.
But Sterling's time has passed, and signing him would not give Frank's project the hit it needs. Diaby, however, has plenty of mileage in the tank.