After an excruciatingly long period in the transfer window where it looked like Spurs would do hardly any business at all, there was a torrent of activity from the Lilywhite end of North London in the last hours of the window.

Which type of reinforcements to bring in has been clear from almost the beginning of the season – a starting right-back to replace Kyle Walker, a Mane-esque player up front that can provide an X-factor against a low defensive block, and a creative player that can compete with Eriksen for a starting spot. No Spurs fan expected the team to end up with two center-backs, a goalkeeper, and a striker being signed – yet here we are.

There’s certainly a discrepancy between the wish-list at the beginning of the window and what Spurs ended up with, but it doesn’t mean that we are worse off than we were last year. In fact, I’d argue that we look like a stronger team at the moment, and due to the young age of some of our younger players, we might be reaping our rewards from shrewd business this window in the years to come.

Specifically, Tottenham’s defense looks set for years to come, barring any major injury or transfer request from a player. All Spurs really did was conduct a man-for-man shuffle at back – starting with bringing in Paulo Gazzaniga (£2m, Southampton) to replace Pau Lopez, who was signed on loan from Espanyol. Admittedly a tiny sum compared to the money that’s been thrown around the last couple of weeks, it’s certainly an important one for the future. Although he’s probably some time away from pushing Vorm as 2nd to Lloris, the fact that Pochettino worked with him at Southampton and decided to bring him along to Spurs speaks volumes.

Davinson Sanchez (£42m, Ajax) and Juan Foyth (£8m, Estudiantes) both replace Kevin Wimmer, who’s off to Stoke, and perhaps to a lesser extent Cameron Carter-Vickers who was shipped off on loan to Sheffield United.

I’ve written extensively about Sanchez, and how he very much has the potential to push for a starting position here. In a nutshell? He’s a brilliantly aggressive, and technically gifted, player that showed his quality not only in the Eredivisie but the Europa League (against the likes of Manchester United) as well.

Foyth is a center-back of a similar mold in that he likes to dribble and pass up field. This is genuinely just a guess on my end but I’d imagine he’s not as further along as Sanchez, who has already won a Copa Libertadores (South American CL) and played against top level European competition.

What’s most intriguing about these two signings are the implications it has for the rest of the team. First and foremost – Kevin Wimmer is gone. One of the Bundesliga’s best players three years ago played only a bit part in two of Tottenham’s campaigns, although his showing the 2015/16 season was impressive as he filled in for an injured Vertonghen.

When called upon last season, he failed to replicate that form. His move to Stoke is probably the best case scenario for both Spurs and him – he’s good enough to start for a mid-table side, and Spurs have theoretically signed younger players for his position, one of which might push his way to the starting XI very soon. Yet neither Sanchez or Foyth are left-footed. In the modern game, it’s widely understood that a left sided center-back should be left-footed, and the same for a center-back on the right. So, can either of the new signings be considered as a back-up option for Vertonghen?

I”d like to propose a third option: Ben Davies. He’s a player that is already familiar with being a part of 3ATB, as he’s deployed in that position for Wales. Kyle Walker-Peters then would act as backup for Danny Rose. Of course, this is all a bit of conjecture as it’s hard to know what Pochettino and his staff are thinking. But it does fall in line with the motif of versatility that we keep hearing from the club.

Speaking of versatility, Pochettino has also been reported as saying that Foyth can play both as a center-back and central defensive midfielder. With the reported interest of Manchester United in acquiring Eric Dier, it’s completely possible that Pochettino is preparing for the future in more ways than one. But a future without Dier is something I’d rather not contemplate at the moment, so I’ll let that one be for now.

The signing of Serge Aurier (£23m, PSG) to replace Kyle Walker seems somewhat like a no-brainer.

Aurier is just as athletic as Walker, which is crucial for Pochettino’s system. Perhaps more importantly, he is more defensively capable than Kieran Trippier – Serge averaged 1.41 interceptions per game last season, whereas Trippier averaged .42. This stat implies that Serge is simply better with his positioning and reading the game, and as we saw against Burnley two weeks ago, a full-back who lacks awareness and fails to read the game for a full 90 can cost you points.

Aurier averaged 5.4 crosses last term as well – more than Walker – yet his chance/assist numbers are lower. The Ivorian will simply have to improve his delivery if he wants to solidify his spot in the starting XI.

PSG was blessed with the heading machine that is Cavani, but Tottenham’s Fernando Llorente (£12m, Swansea City) will be a very nice target for Lilywhite wing-backs to aim for. Banging in 8 goals from his head (15 total) for Swansea last season, he was integral to the Welsh side’s survival in the PL last year.

His heading prowess and hold-up play will certainly add a different dynamic to our attacking style, specially against opposition that likes to sit back. Between Llorente and Janssen, do either have a possibility of even coming close to pushing Kane off the starting XI? Not likely. But I can see Llorente and Kane working in tandem while both are on the pitch. It’s entirely possible that Pochettino utilizes Kane as a support striker (similar to the way Dele is used now) and uses Llorente up top as a focal point. Kane already drops deep to get involved with play and has an excellent eye for setting up teammates, whereas Llorente has proven he can lead the line effectively.

Edit: Due to Janssen being loaned to Fenerbahce, the above seems unlikely. Still, it may occur against a lower league opponent in early cup games.

All in all, a solid window might allow Pochettino to experiment with his line-up even further. The only missing piece is that of a creative playmaker coming to push Eriksen – but with reports of Spurs being in for Ross Barkley in January, that gap might be filled soon.