Tottenham are looking to reinforce their European recruitment division following the departure of three senior scouts.

Spurs are currently operating without a dedicated talent spotter in the Spain/Portugal region, the Belgium/Holland region, or Germany, after all three left their posts in recent times.

The position of Paul Mitchell, who resigned as Tottenham’s head of recruitment and analysis last August but continues to serve a 16-month notice period, is thought to have had an influence on the decision of the scouts.

When they appoint a successor — talks are ongoing with a number of candidates, with an appointment expected soon — it is likely that these posts will be filled again.

Heads of recruitment or chief scouts usually have trusted lieutenants who follow them from club to club.

Tottenham say that despite the losses within the recruitment team, they still have other scouts watching matches in all key territories, including those mentioned. Scouts move between countries and Spurs say no area is being neglected.

Yet Standard Sport understands there is concern among the Spurs scouting community that the current situation, along with the departure of the three scouts, is already having a negative effect. They fear that other clubs might have stolen a march on them in identifying players.

At Spurs — as at most top clubs — targets are identified through a combination of data analysis and live scouting. Scouts will identify talented players and watch them frequently, while also conducting background checks.

The Tottenham stars who signed new contracts | 2016/17 16 show all The Tottenham stars who signed new contracts | 2016/17 1/16 The Tottenham stars who signed new contracts in the 2016-17 season... Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 2/16 Kyle Walker-Peters Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 3/16 Ben Davies Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 4/16 Danny Rose Rex Features 5/16 Kyle Walker Getty Images 6/16 Dele Alli Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 7/16 Harry Kane Getty Images 8/16 Hugo Lloris Getty Images 9/16 Jan Vertonghen Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 10/16 Christian Eriksen Getty Images 11/16 Eric Dier Julian Finney/Getty Images 12/16 Harry Winks Getty Images 13/16 Tom Carroll Michael Regan/Getty Images 14/16 Cameron Carter-Vickers Getty Images 15/16 Michel Vorm Chris Brunskill/Getty Images 16/16 Mauricio Pochettino Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 1/16 The Tottenham stars who signed new contracts in the 2016-17 season... Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 2/16 Kyle Walker-Peters Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 3/16 Ben Davies Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 4/16 Danny Rose Rex Features 5/16 Kyle Walker Getty Images 6/16 Dele Alli Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 7/16 Harry Kane Getty Images 8/16 Hugo Lloris Getty Images 9/16 Jan Vertonghen Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 10/16 Christian Eriksen Getty Images 11/16 Eric Dier Julian Finney/Getty Images 12/16 Harry Winks Getty Images 13/16 Tom Carroll Michael Regan/Getty Images 14/16 Cameron Carter-Vickers Getty Images 15/16 Michel Vorm Chris Brunskill/Getty Images 16/16 Mauricio Pochettino Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images

At the same time, an analysis department will examine many different types of data, looking for trends that might indicate whether a player is worth pursuing. With competition to unearth the next superstar so fierce, it is believed some scouts are worried about whether Tottenham currently have enough manpower in the field.

One source told Standard Sport: “It is like a watch where suddenly some cogs have disappeared but you are still expecting it to run in the same way. There are some essential links missing for the entire scouting process to continue working in a successful way.”

Before Mitchell resigned, he was responsible for assigning scouts to specific matches at home and abroad.

Yet since Mitchell made his decision, some scouts are unclear at the extent of his involvement in the recruitment process. Mitchell, 35, is thought to be keen to move into management, though there has been interest from clubs, notably Nottingham Forest, about a recruitment role.

Around the time Mitchell left in August, Rob Mackenzie, who had been Spurs’ head of player identification, took a similar role at Derby. Mackenzie left Derby soon afterwards when Steve McClaren replaced Nigel Pearson.

Ian Broomfield, who had been Spurs’ senior scout, also left in December. It was Broomfield’s second spell at White Hart Lane following his initial appointment in autumn 2008, when Harry Redknapp was appointed manager.

Meanwhile, Tom Carroll is likely to complete a move to Swansea in a deal that could be worth £8million.