Spurs have battled their way into Premier League title contention despite many thinking, before we kicked the season off in August, that it was going to be a two-horse race between Liverpool and Manchester City.

Alas, the north London outfit are above the latter in the table after Pep Guardiola's men endured a dreadful December but what can Mauricio Pochettino and co. do to ensure they continue to snap at the Reds' heels right until the last day?

Well, after a silent summer in which Spurs made zero signings, the need for fresh faces is apparent as they'd give a huge boost to Tottenham's title hopes.

Football FanCast outline three signings that could make all the difference - and then give our readers the chance to have their say on which one should be brought to north London.

Tanguy Ndombele

Lyon's Ndombele against Manchester City

Now, Spurs fans are surely familiar with this one as the club's interest in the Lyon man is known but the signing of Tanguy Ndombele this month is non-negotiable - he would perhaps be the most transformative addition to the ranks in recent years.

The north London outfit are excellent at developing young players such as Dele Alli into top class stars, but few transfers in their recent history have had the immediate impact that Ndombele would.

Spurs must replace the waning Mousa Dembele, who has been a key figure in the starting XI since a move from Fulham in 2012, and the Belgian must make way for a much younger counterpart who has all the attributes to excel at the base of the midfield.

Renowned for his powerful dribbling and composure on the ball, Ndombele is in his element when allowed to make surging runs from deep after winning possession and this kind of driving force is essential to Spurs' success - Moussa Sissoko has been deployed as a defensive midfielder and has impressed for the same reasons, but his output pales in comparison to that of his countryman.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has completed 2.5 dribbles, 1.8 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in the Champions League this season and is exactly what Spurs are missing.

Callum Wilson

Bournemouth's Callum Wilson has come into his own this season after an injury-ridden few years, chalking up an impressive eight goals and six assists for the Cherries before the turn of 2018 and earning himself a maiden England call-up.

Key features of the former Coventry man's game are his positioning and pace, both of which enable him to be a constant threat on the counter.

With Heung-min Son set to miss up to five games while competing at international level with South Korea in the Asia Cup and Fernando Llorente a target for Galatasaray, the Lilywhites could be lacking options up front beyond Harry Kane - Wilson, while surely expensive, would be the perfect signing to offer another dimension to the attack.

Kane's tendency to drop deep and spray long-balls over the top to a second striker would make him the ideal partner for the 26-year-old, who would score goals galore playing off the shoulder.

Juan Mata

Beyond Christian Eriksen, Spurs lack an out-and-out playmaker and, if you take the Dane out, none of the other attacking midfielders can replicate his vision or passing range.

If the former Ajax man were to sustain an injury, the Lilywhites' title hopes would be in tatters so finding a player who can offer a similar set of skills must be a consideration this month.

Manchester United's Juan Mata can offer exactly that and could be available for a pretty reasonable sum as his Red Devils contract runs out in the summer - Spurs can wait until then to snap him up on a free but they may need the 30-year-old in the coming months as they battle for the title.

The Spaniard made 13 appearances - five from the bench - for the Old Trafford outfit this season before the turn of 2018, recording two goals and two assists, but would surely see these numbers soar with the likes of Kane and Alli for company.

So, Spurs fans, which of the aforementioned signings would you like to see come to fruition? Let us know by voting in our poll below...

CheekySport's Joel claims Spurs badly need to invest in January after not having "the balls" to beat Arsenal. Check out his uncensored opinion in the video above...