Tottenham are interested in Milan Skriniar and Ruben Dias as defensive reinforcements, but any potential deals are likely to involve swaps.
Jose Mourinho has been busy in the summer transfer window, signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Hart, Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguilon along with sealing a shock loan deal for former White Hart Lane hero Gareth Bale.
After spending a combined £37million on Reguilon and Bale, Mourinho still wants a new striker and centre-half.
However, the club needs to sell unwanted players like Danny Rose and Juan Foyth before buying again.
Inter Milan's Skriniar and Benfica's Ruben Dias are among Mourinho's defensive targets, but swap deals are more likely.
Asked last week about the need for a striker, Mourinho said: "For a season like this we need a good squad and we need two players for each position. So there you go.
"So if you ask me if I'm happy to have these players I have to say yes I am but there are other things that make a team and make a squad.
"A squad is a puzzle, a squad is a puzzle and in this moment our squad is not a puzzle and that's a problem that we have to understand."
