5 players Tottenham Hotspur could have signed in the 2022 January transfer window

#3 Ollie Tanner

This one was a bit of a head-scratcher from Tottenham Hotspur. Lewes FC's 19-year-old wide man Ollie Tanner is a neat player. However, it's difficult to see why a club of Spurs' pedigree would look to sign a non-league player, especially with Tanner's controversial history of online comments against Harry Kane.

Nonetheless, Tottenham failed to agree personal terms with the player, much to the relief of their fans. It was another unnecessary and inexplicable episode in a frustrating January for the London club.

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#2 Franck Kessie

Franck Kessie takes a penalty for AC Milan

AC Milan's 25-year-old central midfielder Franck Kessie is out of contract at the end of the season.

With Tottenham Hotspur looking thin in the middle of the park, this was a potential deal that made sense for both parties. AC Milan were open to negotiating a cut-price deal in January rather than risk losing the Ivorian for free at the end of the season.

Spurs, meanwhile, were looking to offload Giovani Los Celso and record signing Tanguy Ndombele.

The Frenchman, who arrived in London for £54 million in 2019, turned out to be a big disappointment. Although the duo have now left Spurs, the London club reportedly explored the possibility of a swap involving Ndombele and Kessie earlier in the window.

The Ivorian, who has scored 36 goals in 208 appearances for Milan, would have been a valuable addition to Spurs' lightweight midfield.

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#1 Luis Diaz

Liverpool's Luis Diaz (in red) is tackled by Inter Milan's Ivan Persisic

Missing out on the talented 24-year-old Colombian winger was bad enough, but the manner in which their move for Luis Diaz collapsed would have hurt Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs did all the hard work, and, to be fair, a move for the then-Porto man made complete sense. Diaz enjoyed a sensational start to his 2021-22 campaign, scoring 14 goals and providing four assists in just 18 league games.

With Spurs sorely lacking options on the right flank, targeting the left-footed winger was a no-brainer.

Although Spurs were willing to match Porto's £40 million asking price, Diaz reportedly wasn't thrilled at the prospect of joining Conte's side. Instead, he rejected Spurs in favour of a transfer to Liverpool, who moved quickly to complete a deal.

The unexpected collapse of the transfer after doing all the hard work will sting Daniel Levy and co. It also shows that despite their strong showings in the 2010s, Tottenham still lack the allure and aura of England's elite teams.