Biggest Issues Facing Tottenham in Final Month of 2015 Transfer Window

The Premier League gets underway in less than a week, but the transfer window still has more than a month to run. 

While Mauricio Pochettino is busy preparing his side for a daunting trip to Old Trafford on Saturday, Daniel Levy and Paul Mitchell are working away behind the scenes. 

Spurs signings so far have addressed the desperate need for improved options in defence.

The acquisitions of Kevin Wimmer and Toby Alderweireld mean Spurs now have five legitimate options at centre-back, while the arrival of Burnley full-back Kieran Trippier raises their complement of top full-backs to four. 

The sales of Younes Kaboul and Vlad Chiriches made room for the new signings while also helping to fund them. 

As near as it can be seen before a ball is kicked, Tottenham's defence is no longer an issue.

Attention now must move further upfield with the midfield and attack still in a state of flux. 

Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Benjamin Stambouli have all moved on, with no replacements having yet been acquired.

Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor both appear poised to leave the club, while no incoming attacking options have been found. 

Tottenham's interest in Timo Werner, Saido Berahino and Fernando Llorente has been reported regularly, but none seem close to being completed. 

A defensive midfielder too has seemingly been a priority, but no progress has been made. 

The squad has been stripped of deadwood but now seems too lightweight for the rigours of the coming campaign. 

Spurs play a demanding style of football. They also played 58 games last season and can reasonably expect a similar total in 2015-16. 

They possess an excellent starting lineup but lack convincing options in reserve. 

Last season, they were a match for the Premier League's best sides, and they have only improved with the signing of defensive reinforcements.

Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane and Nabil Bentaleb are all older and more experienced campaigners, and Spurs' already strong team will naturally improve in year two under Pochettino.

While Spurs rivals have spent huge sums to resolve apparent issues in their teams, Spurs have been more thoughtful, avoiding upheaval in favour of carefully tweaking their squad. 

The logic is sound and should be applauded. When Spurs meet Man United in their opening match, they will be able to select a team almost unchanged from their best victories last season. By contrast, their opponents will be forced to hand debuts to a number of summer arrivals. 

United have signed some excellent players, but there can be no certainty that their new side will be cohesive from the off. 

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The looming danger that Spurs face is the thinness of their squad.  

Pochettino has had a full summer to run his eye over his options in midfield, and he may have resolved to stick with his core of young, mostly unhyped players. 

Dele Alli, Tom Carroll and Alex Pritchard are all tremendously talented, but Pochettino would be reticent to select all three to start a Premier League match. 

It is not a stretch, though, to imagine that happening at some point in this season. 

Significant injuries to any of the core trio of Kane, Bentaleb and Eriksen would be catastrophic. 

The top priority for the remainder of the transfer window must be to secure another striker. 

Even if both Soldado and Adebayor were to remain at the club, there would be a need for attacking reinforcements. Their imminent departures take the situation perilously close to a crisis. 

Andros Townsend, Nacer Chadli, Erik Lamela and even Moussa Dembele could potentially operate as strikers in an emergency, but none are particularly well-suited to the role. 

Tottenham's academy is producing players at a historically unprecedented rate, but so far no new strikers have rolled off the production line. 

External reinforcements must be sought before the closure of the summer window. 

There are no alarm bells to be sounded because Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino have assembled a great squad. Predominantly young and composed of many homegrown talents, the future is bright for this team. 

If the core can be retained, they will surely continue to blossom and become a great Spurs team, but it is not the time for such considerations. 

Spurs must be confident that they have given their young playing group the best chance to succeed in this season. With just one striker, they are selling themselves short.