The January transfer rumour Tottenham fans would have wished had come true

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Tottenham Hotspur had been linked with a January switch for Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez.

Tottenham Hotspur certainly enjoyed a quiet January transfer window with no additions made to Mauricio Pochettino’s first-team and just one player leaving on a permanent basis.

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While the Premier League title race appears as if it could come down to just one team in the near future, an excellent window could have given Spurs a slightly better chance of catching Chelsea.

And while there may have been more exciting names linked with a move to White Hart Lane, there is perhaps no January target that could have proved as useful as Jay Rodriguez.

Inter Milan’s Jeison Murillo in action with Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez

The Southampton striker was linked with a move to White Hart Lane on deadline day, according to The Sun, and while the deal may not have captured the fans’ imagination, it could have been wise for the Tottenham hierarchy to pursue a dramatic swoop.

Spurs’ first XI is arguably as strong as any other team in the division, so it could be deemed that it is the depth within the squad that is preventing them from catching Chelsea at the summit.

But again, in several positions, Tottenham boast a good number of quality options ready to step in if Pochettino has to make changes, apart from up front.

Harry Kane is certainly one of the top flight’s most reliable goalscorers, but his understudy Vincent Janssen has struggled since arriving in England and has given no indication that he can be relied upon to provide sufficient cover for Kane if he picks up another injury.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino

The biggest question mark surrounding Rodriguez is his fitness, but if he can get up to speed, he would arguably be the ideal addition to provide that support to Kane.

He boasts a decent record in the Premier League, and it was under Pochettino that he really thrived and elevated himself into a position which saw him handed an international call-up.

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There is no guarantee that he could get himself back to that level, but the recent signs suggest that his ability to find the back of the net has not disappeared at all

And having the 27-year-old amongst the squad could have perhaps helped Tottenham begin to claw back the nine point gap between themselves and the league leaders.