12 months ago, the dust was settling after an enthralling January transfer window that had seen hordes of deals completed in the Premier League, but this year's midseason market saw a staggering drop-off of roughly £700m with outfits far more frugal with their resources.
Tottenham Hotspur, however, were one of the busier clubs, with Ange Postecoglou demanding a new central defender following detrimental absences of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, injuries and suspension both.
Radu Dragusin was signed to the rearguard while former Chelsea forward Timo Werner added some creativity and dynamism to the attacking efforts, but Postecoglou was also keen on securing a centre-midfielder and failed in that regard.
Okay, maybe he didn't fail. Lucas Bergvall's transfer to Barcelona was hijacked at the eleventh hour by the Lilywhites and the 17-year-old, who has been hailed for his "generational" talent by one scout, will link up with the squad at the end of the term.
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But an established player to augment the engine room was not found, and while Chelsea's Conor Gallagher was the No. 1 target, Postecoglou might feel that the failure to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers star Joao Gomes is the biggest blow to his seasonal goals.
Spurs' interest in Joao Gomes
Last month, Brazilian reports suggested that Tottenham were interested in signing Gomes and had been told that a bid of around €35m (£30m) could be enough to seal the deal; the London club were considered frontrunners amid a hive of interest from other suitors.
There were rumours that a 'substantial' package from Tottenham was to be forthcoming and while this wasn't the case, Postecoglou's interest was genuine and a return in the summer is very much a possibility.
Joao Gomes' season in numbers
Wolves have been impressive and Gomes has been integral in the club's success, having grown into his skin in the Premier League this season after some promising displays in the first half of 2023.
As per Sofascore, Gomes has played 20 matches, completed 83% of his passes, averaged 3.2 tackles, 5.5 ball recoveries and 5.7 successful duels per game and succeeded with 60% of his dribbles.
1.
Joao Palhinha
Fulham
94
2.
Vinicius Souza
Sheffield United
84
3.
Joao Gomes
Wolverhampton Wanderers
64
3.
Emerson Palmieri
West Ham United
64
3.
Pedro Porro
Tottenham Hotspur
64
As the table above portrays, Gomes is one of the finest tacklers in the Premier League and has been invaluable in the Wolves engine room, Gary O'Neil's side leapfrogging Chelsea into tenth place after dispatching the struggling Blues in their own backyard on Sunday afternoon.
During that contest, Gomes' performance was paramount toward winning the key midfield battle, winning seven duels and making six tackles.
The 22-year-old might not have the widest range of passing or the brightest creative spark, but he is industrious and has been described as "The Pitbull" – as per The Athletic's Steve Madeley – for his brutish, unflinching style on the pitch.
Tottenham have looked leagues above the mess that was the 2022/23 campaign and Postecoglou's leadership has sparked optimism that there could be riches to glean in the seasons down the line.
But the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium still needs work and Gomes would be the perfect player to strengthen the midfield and open up another dimension.
While the aforementioned Gallagher has many abilities that would make for a great fit at Tottenham, the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr already provide fluid midfield roles and Gomes might prove to be the better option given his innate defensive ability.
Joao Gomes is a better fit than Conor Gallagher
Wolves completed the £15m transfer of Gomes back in January 2023 from Brazilian team Flamengo and he showcased his talents over seven starting appearances during the latter half of the 2022/23 campaign, since rising to new heights under O'Neil's stewardship this season.
As per FBref, the Brazilian ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles and the top 3% for blocks per 90, showcasing his elite ability as a defensive force.
Malian star Yves Bissouma is Tottenham's tough-tackling technician in the centre and performs the role admirably but has spent five matches on the sidelines this season due to suspension and an alternative in Gomes could be a good move, especially with the expected return to European competition next year.
In fairness, Gallagher has averaged 2.5 tackles per fixture in the Premier League this season (only a fraction below Gomes) and has been praised for being "absolutely relentless with his pressing and energy" by The Athletic's Mike Stavrou, but he's not a natural anchor and Chelsea touted him at £80m in the late days of January.
But the England international also ranks among the top 10% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 11% for progressive passes received per 90, highlighting his aptitude as an immense ground-covering midfielder.
Gomes would be the shrewder man to sign on top of being the better-suited stylistic fit, and Postecoglou must seriously consider binning his interest in the Stamford Bridge star come summer.
Especially given that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is likely to leave at the end of the season; the Danish midfielder has only started six Premier League matches this season and while he has been crisp and composed in possession, his lack of progression and mobility precludes a prominent role in the system.
Indeed, while he has completed 89% of his passes, Hojbjerg has only created 0.2 key passes per game, and though this might be forgiven if his defensive metrics were on point, the 28-year-old has averaged just one tackle and 2.3 successful duels per outing. That is quite a considerable way behind the industrious Gomes.
Hojbjerg was linked with a move away throughout the January transfer window but rejected offers from multiple angles, seemingly content with staying put until the summer, when he may have a greater choice of options.
Described as an "accurate & tenacious tackler" by talent scout Jacek Kulig back when he plied his trade in his homeland, Gomes has definitely transferred this core quality over to English shores.
He would add something different to the Tottenham team and given his raw defensive ability, it might just be that Gomes is a better fit for Postecoglou's side, with the likes of Bentancur and Sarr already offering excellent multi-functionality.
Given Gomes' relatively affordable price tag, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy might cast a rueful eye back to an opportunity missed come summer, when money flows more freely and the suitors will inevitably circle.