It was just last month that Tottenham Hotspur completed a hat-trick of firsts under Mauricio Pochettino. Having inflicted Pep Guardiola’s first defeat as a Premier League manager two seasons ago, Spurs won for the first time in 28 years at Stamford Bridge last term.

The Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Arsenal last month was Pochettino’s first success at the Emirates and, as chance would have it, all three of those milestones were achieved without Harry Kane in the starting line-up.

It is why Pochettino will not be pushed into panic buying after receiving the news that Kane suffered ankle ligament damage against Manchester United and could be out until the start of March.

That is not to say Spurs will not buy a forward as Pochettino has around £50million to spend if he wants it and the club were already looking at potential replacements for Fernando Llorente.

Liverpool’s Divock Origi is the right age and profile and only has 18 months remaining on his contract, while Pochettino has always been a fan of Jay Rodriguez who is having a good season at West Bromwich Albion and David Pleat, whose opinion is valued by chairman Daniel Levy, has watched Hull City’s Jarrod Bowen.