After an indifferent start to life for Mauricio Pochettino at White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur have picked their season up by the scruff of the neck and are now knocking on the door for a top four place.
It has taken Tottenham a long time to adjust to Pochettino's philosophy that served him so well at Southampton, but the Argentine boss is beginning to stamp his authority at the north London club. The Lilywhites have only lost once in 11 outings in all competitions - a run that has seen them progress in Europe and move up to sixth in the Premier League table. They are also into the fourth round of the FA Cup, and look favourites to reach the Capital One Cup final, after taking a 1-0 first-leg lead over League One outfit Sheffield United.
Tottenham currently sit three points off of fourth placed Manchester United - with Arsenal, Liverpool and even West Ham United all competing with Spurs for a Champions League spot. Pochettino's former team Southampton are this season's surprise package and they are showing no signs of giving up their third place position easily.
Tottenham must be fully equipped for a thrilling race to the finish for a top four spot - here are FIVE potential January signings who could make the difference between success or failure at White Hart Lane:
Godfred Donsah
According to the Evening Standard, Spurs are interested in the services of Cagliari midfielder Godfred Donsah. But they are not the only Premier League side to have shown interest in the starlet - Stoke City, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion have all been eyeing up one of Europe's hottest prospects.
The 18-year-old has only played 11 times since joining from fellow Serie A side Palermo six months ago, but when the Ghanaian has played, he has really caught the eye with some dominant displays. Cagliari manager Gianfranco Zola is a big admirer of the defensive midfielder, and he is sure to do all he can to keep the ace in Italy. If Donsah does arrive at White Hart Lane, it could spell the end for Etienne Capoue at Spurs.
James McCarthy
The familiar face of James McCarthy is another target for Mauricio Pochettino according to The Express. The 24-year-old has made 47 Premier League appearances for Everton since joining from Wigan Athletic for £13m in September 2013.
McCarthy has played a huge role in the heart of the Toffees midfield in the last couple of seasons but Tottenham are reportedly preparing a £20m player-plus-cash offer, with Younes Kaboul and Aaron Lennon , if the account described in The Express proves accurate. The Republic of Ireland international is an energetic midfielder that will keep the Spurs side ticking and would certainly be an excellent addition to Pochettino's squad.
Kevin Mirallas
Staying with Everton, Kevin Mirallas is another Everton players on Spurs' radar according to Mirror Sport. The Belgian winger sparked controversy on Monday night, when he took a penalty away from Everton's regular spot-kick taker Leighton Baines, and missed. Despite Toffees boss Martinez snubbing interest from Tottenham recently, Pochettino is unlikely to give up on the exciting winger easily.
Mirallas proved what he's capable of at White Hart Lane at the end of November - when he hit a stunning strike to give Everton a 1-0 lead in an eventual 2-1 loss. The Belgium international has got bags of ability, but like James McCarthy, Roberto Martinez won't let his best players leave Goodison Park without a fight.
Fabian Delph
Although news on a proposed £3m deal that would see Fabian Delph move to Tottenham, as reported in the Mirror, has gone quietly recently, he is the type of player that Spurs could definitely do with. Described as a box-to-box midfielder, Delph never shies away from a tackle, and has been one of Villa's better players in what has been a disappointing season so far at Villa Park.
The 25-year-old was recently called up to Roy Hodgson's England squad,for the European 2016 qualifying games against Switzerland and Estonia, respectively. The Midlands club risk losing Delph on a free in the summer, so they could be tempted to sell their midfield ace for a cut price.
Jackson Martinez
According to recent reports in the Express, Italian giants Napoli are lining up a bid for Spurs target Jackson Martinez. Despite this interest, Spurs should keep on pursuing the Colombian international as he's already proved how deadly he can be in front of goal.
The striker has netted an astonishing 60 times in 77 league appearances for Porto and he would be a real coup for Mauricio Pochettino. With a goalscoring record like that, Martinez would be more than capable of firing the Lilywhites into the Champions League places if he were to sign.