With Spurs rumoured to be in the hunt for a new left sided midfielder and left back, has Daniel Levy considered saving himself a bit of money and sending out a search party for Reto Ziegler?

The young Swiss international was awarded the Spurs supporters young player of the season award last year, but was mysteriously loaned out to Hamburg SV before the close of the summer transfer window. Rumours were circulating early last year that the player was homesick, and after the signing of Andy Reid in January, most of Ziegler's opportunities were from the substitutues bench.

However the story has a twist as since being loaned out to Hamburg, Ziegler has failed to make a good impression and finds himself in the familiar position of sitting on the bench with reports suggesting that he has fallen out with Hamburgs coach. This poses an awkward dilemma for Jol and Levy. It was assumed that the whole point of loaning Ziegler out was that he would get first team experience and that Spurs were well covered on the left side without him. But Andy Reid, in his limited opportunities this season has failed to make the impact hoped and Spurs now regularly start with naturally central midfielders such as Davids and Tainio playing on the left.

With long term target Stewart Dowling likely to stay at Middlesborough, Marseilles Frank Ribery unlikely to be within Spurs financial range and even the most likely January transfer target Theo Walcott unlikely to be ready for the rigours of the Premiership just yet, the idea of having a young international left sided player with Premiership experience sitting on a German substitutes bench now seems more and more senseless.

Tim Row