Jose Mourinho has hinted that Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to be too busy in the January transfer window, per The London Evening Standard.

What’s the word?

The Spurs boss is yet to oversee a transfer window at the club, having been appointed in November.

However, it does not appear that he is likely to ask chairman Daniel Levy to splash the cash at the turn of the year, instead suggesting that they will merely attempt to replace any players who leave the club.

He said: "I am at Tottenham Hotspur. I know the profile of the club, I know the project, I know the vision, I know the objectives.

"I know that in our transfer market we are going just to react to things that can happen to us in the market. Like I was saying if some player leaves we need to adapt to it.

"But we are never going to be the kings of the market, attacking important targets, fighting with clubs that are ready by their profile and philosophy to splash the cash and to go to the important targets.

"We need to do our things in an intelligent way, a creative way, and I repeat I like the players that I have.

"The more I work with them, the more I know them, the more I realise their qualities and their problems.

"I keep saying that I need time and this time is arriving. Not from Sunday until the 26th, or the 26th until the 28th.

"But in January, in February, we are going to have a little bit more time to try to improve it."

Knew this in advance

This was always going to be the reality for Mourinho at Spurs.

January, of course, is a very difficult time to do business because clubs are unlikely to willingly part with their most valuable assets in the middle of the season.

But he needs to coach the players he has and improve them as the club hope to qualify for the Champions League.

The 2-0 defeat to Chelsea proved that there is much work to be done on the training pitch and splashing the cash does not guarantee a solution.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now...

Of course, replacing those players that do leave makes sense, merely to keep the squad's numbers at an appropriate level.

But Mourinho being honest about the club’s situation and the likelihood of spending is refreshing and suggests that he'll be emphasising the training pitch over simply trying to buy Spurs' way up the league.

Meanwhile, Mourinho is repeating a mistake often made by Mauricio Pochettino.