Tottenham Hotspur is already busy approving transfers a week before the transfer deadline, when Ange Postecoglou wants to reshape his squad in the middle of the season.

The Lilywhites have been plagued by injuries after a good start to the season and are keen to get new blood to help them secure a top-four finish. Central defensive duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are currently injured and Tottenham would need reinforcements.

But before signing new contracts, Spurs confirmed one departure in defence and another is close to being finalised.

Young centre-back Ashley Phillips has left North London and moved to Plymouth Argyle for the rest of the season, as confirmed by Spurs’ official website.

The highly-rated young defender has not yet played in the Premier League under Postecoglou and could be joined by another star player who has struggled to get minutes, Eric Dier.

The England international has agreed a deal with Bayern Munich, according to talkSPORT, after Postecoglou responded sharply to a reporter’s question about whether the deal had been confirmed ahead of last week’s FA Cup third-round match against Burnley.

“Separate question, but don’t question my integrity,” the Australian said when asked whether Dier’s absence for Tottenham was due to a move. “When I say he’s injured, he’s injured. He didn’t train yesterday. I can get Vision [Spurs training footage] for you, you can ask him. It has nothing to do with anything else.

“He’s injured and in relation to anything else that’s going on, it’s not on my radar. If something happens, I’m sure I’ll find out about it, but it’s fair that in the last 24 hours we’re focusing on the game and the guys that are available.”