Tottenham Hotspur's worrying start to the season took another hit on Saturday as their poor run at Stamford Bridge continued with a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

The Lilywhites are now seven points off the division's summit and amid a run of just one win in their last ten games across all competitions, incurring four defeats in the process.

Mauricio Pochettino is famed for his willingness to give chances to young players, whilst his philosophy capitalises on the energy, fearlessness and dynamism they tend to provide.

That has left Spurs with the youngest squad age in the Premier League and although many have heaped Pochettino with due praise for deviating from the division's norms, such a policy does have its consequences.

Indeed, Tottenham's title bid fell apart last season as the pressure finally told on the young squad and although there have been over factors, Spurs' youthful cast are struggling to meet expectations this year.

Balance is key in the beautiful game, so its time Poch attempted to find a better equilibrium by bringing in some more experienced stars who can help lead and develop his younger players.

With that in mind, Football FanCast have picked out four experienced stars the north Londoners should target in the January transfer window.

 

Axel Witsel

The Belgian midfielder will be a free agent in the summer as his contract with Zenit St. Petersburg looks set to expire.

In January, Witsel can discuss a potential move to any club and sign a pre-contract agreement - although a decent bid could convince Zenit to part with him six months ahead of schedule. His versatility would ensure Spurs sign an outstanding player capable of filling a void anywhere in midfield.

A number of clubs are set to be chasing the signature of Witsel, but Tottenham's vibrant Belgian contingent could swing the odds of any transfer battle in their favour.

Javier Hernandez

Mauricio Pochettino is familiar with the former Manchester United striker after his Bayer Leverkusen side helped dump Spurs out of the Champions League recently.

Hernandez is well known in the Premier League and produced impressive hauls at Old Trafford despite spending most of his time on the subs bench.

The Mexican remains one of the best poachers in the game and would certainly provide an upgrade on Harry Kane's current understudy Vincent Janssen.

Edin Dzeko

The slayer of Tottenham on many occasions, Dzeko's record against the Lilywhites during his time in Manchester was more than respectable.

The Bosnian scored a total of five Premier League goals against the North Londoners and has found a new lease of life at AS Roma.

His work-rate can certainly be questioned, but Dzeko's knack of finding the back of the net would make him an ideal striker to strengthen Spurs' squad depth.

Yaya Toure

Yaya Toure proved he's by no means past it with a brace-bagging performance against Crystal Palace last weekend. But the strained relationship with Pep Guardiola remains and it seems unlikely he'll be a Manchester City player much longer.

Spurs already have a fair few options in the middle of the park but Toure's decisive goals could prove pivotal in a hotly contested title race, whilst young players like Dele Alli and Harry Winks could learn a lot from the Ivorian great.

Whether City would sanction a move to a divisional rival, however, especially halfway through the season, remains to be seen.