After missing out on deadline day deal, two Spurs players are giving Pochettino a surprise headache

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Tottenham Hotspur duo Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks are stepping up in midfield.

Tottenham Hotspur ended the transfer window with a tinge of disappointment at missing out on Barcelona’s Andre Gomes on deadline day, as noted by Guillem Balague, with manager Mauricio Pochettino unable to bring in a new midfielder.

Pochettino added a new goalkeeper in Paulo Gazzaniga, boosted his defence with the additions of Serge Aurier, Juan Foyth and Davinson Sanchez, and also brought in another goal threat by signing striker Fernando Llorente.

However, a midfielder didn’t arrive for Spurs, and whilst many were concerned with the lack of options in the middle of the park, two players have really stepped up to the mark in recent weeks.

Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele were Tottenham’s clear first-choice central midfield pairing last season, but when both players went down with injury just a few games into the season, Spurs fans may have feared the worst.

Now though, not one but two players have stepped up to the mark, as Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko are both giving Pochettino something of a headache – right now and for when Dembele and Wanyama return.

Youngster Winks, 21, showed potential last season before suffering an ankle injury against Burnley in April, and he has returned with a bang, turning in a series of accomplished displays in the heart of the Tottenham midfield.

Winks’ form even saw him win a first England call-up, earning his first cap against Lithuania on Sunday, receiving plaudits for his displays as he now looks to nail down a regular starting role for Spurs ahead of the World Cup in Russia next summer.

Winks isn’t alone in stepping up, as Moussa Sissoko – who endured a miserable first season with Spurs last term following his big-money move from Tottenham – is currently enjoying his finest spell as a Spurs player.

The Frenchman has been rejuvenated in recent weeks, picking up his form since the arrival of former Toulouse team-mate and close friend Aurier, giving Tottenham hope that he can finally live up to his price tag.

Both players deserve starting roles right now, and Pochettino will have a real decision to make when Dembele and Wanyama return, as he faces a midfield headache that few saw coming when Spurs missed out on Gomes.