There will always be long-term targets that are coveted, of course, as well as those that crop up at the 11th hour, perhaps because of injuries or loss of form for current players.
De Zerbi still hunting for new signings
Situations also occur when a club changes a manager, who perhaps has a different philosophy to those who have trodden the same path before him.
Take Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham Hotspur as a recent example.
When taking over the North London giants at the back end of last season, his brief was clear and simple. Keep Spurs in the Premier League. Nothing more, nothing less.
Though it took until the final day of the season, the Italian did exactly that, with many players he has since cast aside, suggesting he was unhappy with the roll call of talent the club had available when he joined and that previous managers had signed.
To show how strongly he believed rapid change was needed, De Zerbi dispensed with the services of 17 players this summer, with two more returning to their loan clubs, while recruiting 10 in their place.
Tresoldi targeted
It's fair to say that Tottenham have probably never seen the like of such a revolving door of transfers, and whilst such big changes don't necessarily guarantee success, at least the long-suffering fan base can't point the finger of blame at the board of the club any longer.
Despite having a strength in depth that they've not had for some while, that still doesn't appear to be enough for De Zerbi, with Tottenham having representatives at the Champions League game between Club Brugge and Aston Villa earlier in the week.
They were in Belgium to apparently run the rule over 22-year-old striker Nicolo Tresoldi, who found the net from the penalty spot despite finishing on the losing side.
The player has already scored three goals in five Jupiler League appearances this season, after bagging 19 in 40 games during 2025/26.
In all competitions, those totals rise to five goals in seven appearances this season and 23 goals plus three assists in 58 games last season.
Richarlison's replacement?
It's no wonder that the German has become hot property, and with Spurs demoting Richarlison to their U21 side, there will be space available for another striker come the turn of the year.
They may face competition from Manchester United, who are also looking for a striker to complement who they already have up front. However, it seems that the North Londoners have stolen a march on any other interested parties.
Aside from Tresoldi's goals, he's also made 15 fast breaks since the start of last season, which was only bettered by new Arsenal signing, Christos Tzolis, who made the move from Brugge in the summer.
A shot conversion rate of 18.44% is the best anyone at his club has managed in the same time period, and the striker's 50.93% shot accuracy is also the highest of anyone who has scored 10 or more goals since the beginning of 2025/26.
Passing and tackling must improve
Tzolis again just edged his colleague in terms of total shots attempted (150 to 141), though Tresoldi's 55 on target compared to Tzolis's 56 is a much better return.
31 headers attempted, 44 big chances created, and 20 big chances on target are also best-in-class from the German, but if there's one area that requires a big improvement, it's with regard to his pass completion.
At just 76.18%, he has one of the lowest pass completion rates in the Club Brugge squad, and while many strikers at other clubs also post lower figures, De Zerbi likes his players to pass the ball quickly and accurately.
Only 37 tackles attempted in his last 65 games is another area Tresoldi needs to improve if he were to sign for Tottenham and become a success there.
Still young enough to develop further
Perhaps the Italian will be consoled by the players' general work rate, given that he's second in the whole Brugge squad for one-on-ones attempted (424) and aerial duels (169).
At 22, there's also more than enough time for him to develop into the sort of striker that continues to strike fear into the heart of opposition defences.
By running the rule over him before any of their competitors do so, Spurs will undoubtedly be hoping that their scouting work pays off in January.