Tottenham Hotspur are one of the most recognisable clubs in world football.

With their stature and history in English football, they have been able to attract some of the best talent on the market throughout the years. But while the Lilywhites mainly conduct their business in the summer transfer windows, they have, at times, resorted to the January window to help fill supposed gaps in their squad as they aimed to finish various campaigns strongly.

Despite Tottenham struggling in the Premier League and head coach Ange Postecoglou witnessing an unprecedented injury situation, the hierarchy are yet to spend beyond the acquisition of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in this winter transfer window.

Forward areas and the defensive unit have been hit the most, and should Daniel Levy decide to loosen his purse strings in the final days of the transfer window to help out Ange Postecoglou, he will be hoping to replicate the success of the best purchases of yesteryears. Without further ado, let us take a look at the top three January signings that became a roaring success at White Hart Lane.

1. Michael Dawson

Tottenham spent a combined £8 million back in 2005 to sign Michael Dawson and Andy Reid from Nottingham Forest. The double deal was completed just minutes before the transfer deadline expired.

Michael Dawson, in particular, became a mainstay in Spurs backline after a slow start to his career in North London. Beating competition from fellow central defenders Noureddine Naybet and Anthony Gardner, he went about building a strong partnership with Ledley King at the heart of the club’s defence.

In the following years, Dawson and King would both suffer from injuries that stopped them from being paired up together at the back as often as they would have liked. When they did combine, the duo were as effective as a partnership as Tottenham had witnessed in several years.

Dawson went on to wear the famed White shirt for nine-and-a-half years, racking up 324 appearances across all competitions and helping transform Spurs into a top-four bothering side. He became club captain after King’s retirement in 2012, but after two years, the four-cap former England international ended his Tottenham career and moved to Hull City.

2. Jermain Defoe

During his two spells at White Hart Lane, Jermain Defoe became a fan favourite. He initially signed for Tottenham in the 2004 January transfer window and, after a year with Portsmouth, re-joined the North Londoners in the same month in 2009.

On both occasions, the ex-England striker was brought in to help the club maintain their top-flight status. After spending half a season in the Championship following West Ham’s relegation, Spurs’ then-caretaker manager David Pleat brought Jermain Defoe back to the Premier League. In exchange, the Hammers received £7 million and Bobby Zamora.

Spurs were in troubled waters when Defoe arrived in North London, and Pleat expected him to hit the ground running. And the diminutive centre-forward did exactly that, scoring seven goals following his transfer to help the club achieve safety.

He was Tottenham’s top goalscorer in the 2004/05 campaign under then manager Martin Jol, but after Juande Ramos was hired as Jol’s replacement, Defoe joined Portsmouth. After just one year with Portsmouth, his Pompey boss Harry Redknapp brought him back to North London after becoming the new Spurs manager in 2008. The striker played a key role in helping the club restore some prestige in the game—notably marked by Champions League qualification at the end of the 2009/10 campaign.

With 143 goals in 363 appearances across two spells at White Hart Lane, Defoe is regarded as one of the best strikers to have played for our club.

3. Wilson Palacios

Among the five players brought in by Harry Redknapp back in the 2009 January transfer window, none had a more telling impact than Wilson Palacios.

Signed from Wigan Athletic, Wilson Palacios was brought in to add some much-needed bite, steel and energy to Spurs’ midfield unit and he did exactly that. The Honduran’s presence at the base of the midfield not only gave the team balance but also allowed skilful operators such as Luka Modric, Tom Huddlestone and Jermain Jenas to play their natural game.

The combative midfielder spent only two-and-a-half seasons at White Hart Lane but his impact was huge, considering the circumstances the team found themselves in during the 2008/09 season. Palacios went on to play 86 times, scoring a goal, and without him in the 2008/09 campaign, Redknapp’s side could have finished a lot worse than eighth in the table.

The former 97-cap Honduras international’s arguably best display in a Lilywhite came away at San Siro against AC Milan in the Champions League. Sitting beside the tigerish Sandro in the middle of the park, Palacios did the dirty work and broke plenty of Milan’s attacks on the famous night that saw Tottenham register a famous 1-0 victory.