Levy needs to deliver for Conte in this transfer window

A transfer summit was held two weeks ago with chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici during which Conte delivered his wish-list: a right wing-back, a midfielder and an attacker.

The trio agreed on the three targets but, as yet, none have been delivered with Spurs embarrassingly and very publicly missing out on Adama Traore who is joining Barcelona, initially on loan, instead and perhaps even more damagingly being gazumped by Liverpool for Porto winger Luis Diaz who will cost £37.5m.

To rub salt into the wounds another target, albeit one who was earmarked for the end of the season when his contract expires at AC Milan, midfielder Franck Kessie, is apparently more inclined to stay in Serie A.

It is unthinkable that Spurs will come out of this window without players arriving and their big hopes now are Juventus forward Dejan Kulusevski, who is admired by Conte, and Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat. Both would be loans. It may not be enough.

The same applies to players leaving. Conte was explicit on whom he wanted to move on: Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso. All big, expensive names. So far, despite extensive negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain over a loan, a deal has not yet been struck for Ndombele and while Lyon have expressed interest in Lo Celso – also on loan – the reality is that all three could remain marooned at Spurs, admittedly with golden handcuffs, with an unforgiving coach who will not hold back. Having pulled off a coup in hiring Conte, Levy needs to deliver.

Arsenal have to do something, but why have they left it so late?

Arteta’s hand is not as strong. Arsenal is his first managerial job and so he has to be more cautious in how hard he pushes especially as club owner Stan Kroenke will have wanted answers during discussions in Denver last week as to how the squad’s highest-paid player, and the now defunct captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been exiled and what the plan is for him. There have been loan approaches from Barcelona and Juventus but wages, obviously, are an issue for a player on such an incredible salary.

How Arteta would love Aubameyang to leave and a new striker sign in the next couple of days but Arsenal have hit a brick wall, so far, on both fronts. Their number one target, Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic, has joined Juventus for £58.2m and if he lined up alongside Aubameyang in Turin rather than at the Emirates then Arsenal fans will believe it sums up this window.

Alternatives such as Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak appear to be too expensive. Will Everton sell Dominic Calvert-Lewin? Arsenal may have to look elsewhere and it is negligent to go in the second-half of the season like this especially as Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are out of contract in the summer and probably leaving. Nketiah may go before then if Newcastle can finalise a move.

In midfield, too, Arsenal have been unable to strengthen as planned. Talks with Juventus over a loan for Arthur Melo have gone nowhere, Guimaraes is joining Newcastle and Aston Villa insist Douglas Luiz is not for sale. Again Arsenal surely have to do something although their fans are right to question – as is happening at Spurs – why they have left it all so late. Both clubs have technical directors. They appear to have been asleep at the wheel.

Newcastle’s signings are so far not enough

The situation is slightly different at Newcastle. Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood have arrived but it is not enough. Not yet. They have been knocked back in their long-running pursuits of Sevilla’s Diego Carlos and Lille’s Sven Botman and signing at least one centre-half is becoming critical, hence the move for Brighton’s Dan Burn.

There is, of course, the unusual situation of a club with money to spend that is fighting relegation but is also battling against being taken advantage of in the transfer market while paying a “Newcastle premium”… and also dealing with those who do not want to do business with them. The saga over Jesse Lingard, with Manchester United’s extortionate £16.5m demands, sums that up.

Lingard could be another player left stranded for the rest of the season as could his United team-mate Donny van de Beek, although he appears more likely to escape and to Crystal Palace.

Often deadline day is a damp squib and, in truth, that is the way it should be for those who plan and get their business done early. There can be the odd opportunistic swoop but for at least three Premier League clubs it is set to be far more panic-stricken than is healthy. The fall-out from what they do – and do not do – could be significant for all three.