There’s every reason to believe that the telephone lines at White Hart Lane have been sizzling, and Harry Hotspur’s mobile has been crackling non-stop this week.

The message has gone out to every Tottenham scout in Europe: You’ve got six weeks to find me another Peter Schmeichel, a Brad Friedel, a David James or, better still, another Pat Jennings.

Heurelho Gomes’ days at Spurs are numbered. The unfortunate Brazilian (and you can’t say that about many players from that part of the world) has blundered his way into virtual oblivion. His stay at The Lane has been short and, unfortunately, not very sweet.

Poor old Gomes seems to reserve his best bloopers for when he’s on telly - his best so far presented for millions of viewers last week when he simply didn’t react fast enough to a cross from Fulham’s Simon Davies, which took the slightest deflection off Jonathan Woodgate’s head and slipped into the net through the keeper's fumbling fingers.

It’s got to be said that Concord-konk Gomes is a great shot stopper – from distance. But stick him in a crowded goalmouth with two or three tough defenders and strikers hurling themselves at anything within striking distance, and he’s a little boy lost. It’s one of the hazards of the Premier League.

Harry Redknapp has identified the problem – although he could have asked any Spurs fan what the team needed most – and the one certainty for the January transfer window is a new goalkeeper for Spurs.

He’s already had a word with Sir Alex Ferguson about Ben Foster, but that’s a non-starter as Fergie has earmarked Foster as Edwin van der Sar’s successor at Old Trafford, and rates Foster as the best English keeper in the Premier League.

He’d love to get David James from his old club Portsmouth, but again Pompey have made it clear that there’ll be no welcome mat at Fratton Park for their old boss if he comes a-callin’. And especially for striker Jermain Defoe, who he nicked from Spurs when he was boss at Portsmouth.

Here are a few of Europe’s high-fliers who might well be under the Redknapp microscope on the run-up to the New Year sales:

Andres Palop (Sevilla): Hardly a long-term investment at 35 but Spain’s third-choice goalkeeper is in great form, helping to push Sevilla into second spot in La Liga. He was understudy to Santiago Canizares at Valencia for several seasons, but has a firm hold on the No.1 spot at Sevilla.

Hugo Lloris (Olympic Lyonnais): Six-footer, solid and reliable. Not new to the Spurs radar screen as he was on the list to replace Paul Robinson a couple of years ago, and at the age of 22 a genuine contender.

Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen): The 6ft 3in giant’s exploits are behind Bayer Leverkusen’s rapid rise to the top of the Bundesliga and the last piece of the Berlin Wall still standing. But there may be a better option in Germany right now...

Daniel Haas (TSG Hoffenheim): Another six-footer with Germany’s shock outfit of the season so far. Hoffenheim are joint top of the league and the moment, ahead of the mighty Bayern Munich, and Haas is grabbing all the headlines.

Brian Van Loo (FC Groningen): Conceded only six goals in 11 games with the team in third spot in the Erdivisie. Another short-term stopper but Redknapp has never been an age-ist in his transfer dealings. And if Spurs what to keep their Brazilian/Spanish interpreter on the payroll, how about...

Helton da Silva Arruda (FC Porto): At 6ft 2in, big enough to look after himself in penalty-area skirmishes. Helton (for short) was a member of the Brazilian squad that won back-to-back titles in Copa America in 2007.

Best of luck, ‘arry Boy!