Tottenham Hotspur January Transfer Summary and What It Means for the Future

So, another transfer window has passed. There was as much speculation as ever, linking Spurs to all sorts of players of all sorts of ages from all sorts of teams, but who were the actual movers? Here is a summary of the ins and outs of Tottenham Hotspur's January transfer window, examining the areas affected and what it means for the remainder of the current season and the future.

Defence

Vedran Corluka has played second fiddle to Kyle Walker at right-back for most of the season so, frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities and with the aim of securing a place in Croatia's Euro 2012 squad, "Charlie" has opted for a loan move to Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.

It's a risky move for Spurs because there are no other recognised right-backs at the club. Younes Kaboul and William Gallas have both been known to play there in the past but, following Walker's early departure from Tuesday night's Wigan Athletic match through injury, this could be an area of concern with no-one else coming through the door.

Sebastien Bassong was also allowed to leave on loan, moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers for the rest of the season. Since Tottenham's elimination from the Europa League, he has found first-team chances limited. New Zealand international defender Ryan Nelsen, released from his contract at Blackburn Rovers, comes in on a six-month deal to provide cover.

Midfield

Despite the late collapse of the move for Juventus winger Milos Krasic, Steven Pienaar was allowed to return to Everton on loan. Pienaar has been on the fringes ever since making the move the other way one year ago, but has made frequent substitute appearances recently following his return from injury. His absence could prove tricky, although Giovani's failed move back to Spain means that there should be significant cover for the wide positions.

Attack

Roman Pavlyuchenko's unhappy spell in England has finally been brought to an end. The Russian has returned home, signing for Lokomotiv Moscow in a reported £7.5 million deal. This represents excellent business for Tottenham for a player who has struggled to earn minutes on the pitch this season, and has generally struggled to produce the goods when given those opportunities.

Despite receiving a decent sum for the Russian though, Spurs saw fit to wrap up a surprise free transfer move for Everton forward Louis Saha as his replacement. Released from his contract early following the arrival of Nikica Jelavic, Saha comes in to presumably provide the cover that Pavlyuchenko's presence served previously. It will be fascinating to see what role Saha does play because, right now, he is the only fit senior forward at the club due to injuries sustained by Rafael van der Vaart and Emanuel Adebayor in the 3-1 victory over Wigan.

Summary

On reflection, it has been a very quiet transfer window by Tottenham's usual standards. Following the similarly frugal summer transfer window, in which the only money spent was to acquire Scott Parker from West Ham, it begs the question of Tottenham's financial capabilities, but perhaps more strikingly, the question of Harry Redknapp's tenure at the club.

There is good reason to suspect that Redknapp's days at the club are numbered. His ongoing court case may force Daniel Levy's hand but, should Redknapp come through that ordeal cleanly, it is the view of most that his will be the first name on the list to replace the outgoing Fabio Capello as England manager.

So Levy's reasons for not wanting to release funds are two-fold. Firstly, he has not taken the risk of spending money on players on the say-so of an outgoing manager. This leaves money available for the summer for Spurs to spend on players with the carrot of Champions League football returning to White Hart Lane.

Secondly, should Redknapp leave, a large transfer kitty would certainly form part of the package to attract his replacement. Most managers demand a certain amount of money to spend on players before agreeing to take on a club; especially one with the ambitions that Spurs entertain.

Levy is gambling though, of course. A lack of spending, while leaving a lot of supporters frustrated, also has the potential to leave the squad short of quality cover. Should Tottenham fail to consolidate their current league position of third and miss out on Champions League football, coupled with Harry Redknapp's departure, they will suddenly seem like a much less attractive prospect for any prospective managers.

Add into that equation the money that will be needed to support the recently-committed-to Northumberland Development Project - meaning Spurs are committed to building a new stadium of their own in Tottenham - and the stakes are ramped up very quickly.

The next three-and-a-half months are going to be pivotal, not only in Tottenham's season, but for their future. Suddenly, Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen don't quite seem like the answer.