While Antonio Conte has hit the ground running at Tottenham, the Italian has barely made a start on the huge overhaul that's needed to elevate the Londoners back into the upper echelons of the Premier League.
Spurs have been linked with a £25million move for Wolves ace Adama Traore and recent reports have indicated that Conte is desperate for more signings before the transfer window slams shut next week.
But concerns are growing at Tottenham that transfer funds don't appear to be forthcoming.
Daniel Levy has come under fire from fans as a result, with Conte stressing after Sunday's chastening 2-0 derby defeat against Chelsea that the club desperately needs new recruits.
If funds are tight in north London, then Levy could perhaps take inspiration from the huge overhaul that Conte facilitated during his previous stint at Chelsea and attempt to follow suit.
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While Conte spent big during his two-year reign at Stamford Bridge, he more than played his part in balancing the books.
Conte wasted no time in showcasing his ruthless streak by ditching Diego Costa just weeks after the striker had plundered 20 goals during the Blues title-winning campaign.
And the former Inter Milan chief was also proactive by culling a host of fringe players during his previous spell in the capital; raising a handsome nine-figure sum for Chelsea in the process.
The likes of Oscar, Nemanja Matic, Nathan Ake, Juan Cuadrado and Asmir Begovic were all offloaded under Conte's watch, meaning the Italian raked in around £196m from those six departures alone - and the potential is there for him to pull off a similar trick at Spurs.
A host of names have already been linked with an exit from Tottenham this month, with Conte prepared to be ruthless once again in a desperate bid to raise funds for new recruits.
Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso were all excluded from Tottenham's squad for Sunday's trip to Stamford Bridge and are seemingly destined for the exit door.
If Conte can somehow recoup a decent chunk of the club-record £55m fee that Spurs shelled out to bring Ndombele to the capital from Lyon back in 2019, then it should allow him room to maneuver in the transfer market before the window shuts next week.
Although a loan switch to Paris Saint-Germain, which would see Ndombele reunited with Mauricio Pochettino, looks more likely than a permanent exit right now, getting the Frenchman's £200,000-a-week salary off the books would still free up some funds.
And while it may not be possible to rake in a handsome sum for the likes of Lo Celso and Alli, there is still scope for Conte and Spurs to get creative in a bid to move them on and replace them over the next seven days.
Lo Celso has struggled to make any sort of impression since arriving at the club in 2020 but he could be used as a makeweight for Tottenham in other deals according to The Athletic, while getting Alli off of the wage bill would be a boost for the club following his fall from grace over the past 18 months.
There are plenty of other candidates at the club who Conte would more than likely be willing to sacrifice in order to put his own stamp on the current playing squad.
Matt Doherty is another one who could be heading for the exit month given Conte's desire to covert Traore into a wing-back while Japhet Tanganga has also been linked with a January move.
One player who has seemingly saved himself from the axe is Steven Bergwijn.
The Dutchman had also been tipped as a potential casualty under Conte after struggling to impress on a consistent basis since he arrived at the club in 2020. But his stunning last-gasp double to steal a 3-2 win away at Leicester has given the 24-year-old a lifeline to salvage his Spurs career.
Players sold by Conte at Chelsea (fees according to Transfermarkt): Oscar - £54m, Diego Costa - £54m, Nemanja Matic - £40m, Nathan Ake - £20m, Juan Cuadrado - £18m, Asmir Begovic - £10m.
