Tottenham are set to be very active in this final stretch of the window, and we can expect talks for attacking targets to intensify quickly after they were robbed of a deal for Eberechi Eze by north London rivals Arsenal.
The Lilywhites thought they were closing in on Eze, then Arsenal moved, and everything changed.
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Spurs were deep in talks with Crystal Palace, seemingly on the brink of agreeing a deal for their star number 10.
However, Arsenal reignited their long-standing interest almost immediately after losing Kai Havertz to injury - seizing the initiative and agreeing a deal worth £60 million upfront, plus £7.5 million in add-ons.
Despite Tottenham agreeing both personal terms and a deal in principle with Palace, the final decision rested with Eze, and he chose a move to the Emirates.
"Arsenal came in late this afternoon - also agreeing to Palace's terms - and the player chose Arsenal due to his connection to them," said the reliable Alasdair Gold on X.
"Another number 10 lost when Spurs thought it was done. Not a good look spending so long on a deal only for another club to get him within a day."
The 27-year-old grew up a Gunners fan, trained in their academy as a youth, and Mikel Arteta’s side needed fresh attacking flair amid Havertz's fresh knee problem. Arsenal have been targeting Eze all summer, but Havertz inadvertently pushed them into action whilst breaking Spurs' hearts in the process.
Now Spurs are left scrambling for different options to plug the creative voids left in their squad - made worse by Son Heung-min's departure and James Maddison’s long-term ACL injury.
In just a few hours, the tag-team of Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta snatched the deal from under Daniel Levy's nose. From nearly finalized by Tottenham to firmly Arsenal’s - this one will sting in N17 for some time.
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Levy and Thomas Frank will be desperate to put the saga behind them whilst making a serious statement of intent, and they've been linked with a few intriguing attacking options in the aftermath of their botched Eze deal.
Tottenham are still trying to loosen Man City's grip on Savinho, but another option is still there in the form of Real Madrid star Rodrygo.
Tottenham could be close to agreeing loan deal for Rodrygo
According to Defensa Central, the Brazilian is not in Xabi Alonso's plans, and his pool of suitors is running thin.
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As things stand, Spurs are the most realistic destination for him, and their eagerness to offload him has resulted in Bernabeu chiefs softening their stance when it comes to his £86 million price tag.
So much so, in fact, that Real are now prepared to green-light an initial loan for Rodrygo, something that is enticing Tottenham as Levy maintains an interest in the 24-year-old.
As per Defensa, this means that Tottenham "could be close" to reaching an agreement for Rodrygo, as they're also ready to cover the player's entire £208,000-per-week salary.
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The only roadblock is apparently whether Levy will agree to include a buy-option/obligation, as Florentino Perez would ideally like his price tag paid in full, but could be forced to wait until 2026.
Rodrygo, for his part, has decided to leave Real in pursuit of more game time, and while not explicitly stated, the prospect of a Premier League move could well tempt him.
Called a "superstar" by Luka Modrić, Rodrygo bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Los Blancos last term.