Celtic fans were recently excited to learn that Spurs midfielder Victor Wanyama, who had been at the Parkhead club earlier in his career, was a target for them in the last window, with the manager Neil Lennon hinting that they might make another move for him in January.

Wanyama was a fantastic player at Celtic Park, turning in some splendid performances and delivering on some big occasions, including getting a famous goal against Barcelona.

He left Celtic for Southampton in a £12.5m move after talks about a new contract broke down, with his agent saying that a club in the SPL could never meet his financial demands.

Nevertheless, Celtic fans had appreciated the player’s efforts in the shirt and he departed on good terms with both the club and the supporters.

The club spent around £14m during the summer, and aside from securing the services of the likes of Greg Taylor, Christopher Jullien and Abd Elhamed on permanent deals they were also active in the loan market, bringing in Mortiz Bauer from Stoke and another former player in Fraser Forster, the big goalkeeper who was such a hit at Parkhead that they nicknamed him The Great Wall.

They also signed exciting Southampton winger Mohamed Elyounoussi for a year.

Wanyama would have been a different order of signing altogether, and would have brought a real presence to the midfield.

Fans would have been excited about that, and this is why so many were pleased when Lennon said that the idea has not been abandoned.

So could it happen in January?

It is possible, but there seems to be a view down south that Tottenham would prefer to see him go on a permanent deal, securing them at least some of what they paid Southampton back in 2016.

A move to Brugge, worth an estimated £13m, broke down in the summer because Wanyama didn’t fancy it and he seemed to hint in a social media post that he was keen on a return to Celtic Park.

But again, wages seemed to be the stumbling block, and they might well prove to be again.

That Lennon has not given up hope means that Celtic fans shouldn’t either, but perhaps they should not be too hopeful at the same time.