Tottenham players are privately questioning the ambition of chairman Daniel Levy.
The Daily Mail says it is the calibre of summer incomings that is worrying some members of his squad.
The north Londoners have not spent any money in the last two transfer windows.
But, as well as expecting that to change, Spurs's stars want the club's focus to be on bringing in big names to provide high-quality, ready-made reinforcements, which will require the significant investment manager Mauricio Pochettino is after, rather than young prospects with potential.
The latter has been a key element of Spurs's recruitment model in the past.