January Transfer Targets for Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a decent start to the season, thanks in no small part to their summer signings.

To varying degrees, Jan Vertonghen, Clint Dempsey, Moussa Dembele, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Hugo Lloris have already made contributions for their new club.

But no side with ambition can ever take their eye completely off other players they believe will help bolster the squad or improve the first team.

Here are four players Spurs could be looking to sign come the January transfer window to help their bid for a spot in next season's Champions League.

Lewis Holtby

There will be a lot more attention on Holtby after he played his part in Schalke's 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday.

The midfielder, who was born and raised in Germany but is half English, has had an impressive season for the Gelsenkirchen club, whose only defeat so far this season was against Bayern Munich.

The 22-year-old, who captains Germany's Under-21 side, is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning Spurs could push through a mid-season move if Schalke do not offer him a new deal.

Joao Moutinho

Moutinho could well have been a Tottenham player already were it not for Spurs' late bid for the Portugal international on deadline day falling through.

Villas-Boas' top target could yet leave Porto in January, but Spurs now face some serious competition for his signature.

Super-rich clubs Paris-Saint Germain and Zenit St Petersburg are now both interested in the midfielder, according to the Daily Mail, and those clubs both operate on a financial level with which Spurs have no chance of competing.

Facundo Roncaglia

If the Fiorentina defender's name is not familiar to you, type it into YouTube and you won't forget it in a hurry. 

The Argentinian scored an outrageous long-range strike in the 1-1 draw against Parma last month, his first since joining La Viola from Boca Juniors in the summer.

The 25-year-old can play in the centre of defence or at right-back, mirroring the ability of Vertonghen on the left for Spurs.

Willian

The Shakhtar Donetsk man is one of a clutch of Brazilian attackers at the Ukrainian club who other sides have tried, and so far failed, to poach.

Ahead of Shakhtar's 2-1 win over European champions Chelsea on Tuesday, Willian claimed that he is in regular contact via text message with Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, as reported by ESPN FC.

Spurs are not exactly crying out for attacking midfielders, but the versatile 24-year-old looks ready to make a move to one of Europe's big leagues.