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Chelsea have an issue with their wage bill, and Tottenham Hotspur appear far too willing to help them out.

Even after back-to-back seasons spent looking over their shoulder at relegation, even the most pessimistic Spurs supporters may not have expected the club to be bottom of the table after two matches, with a goal difference of -5.

Then again, given the trauma built up in recent years, perhaps some did. Even so, Tottenham Hotspur’s arrivals this summer have looked impressive, and they came with the expectation that the club would be pushing for European football this season.

But the North London side can, at best, be described as slightly overenthusiastic with their spending this summer, and their rush to help resolve Chelsea’s wage bill problem is concerning, to put it mildly.

Ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline at 11pm BST, Spurs appear close to signing Chelsea pair Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo.

Their London rivals are prepared to move both players on as part of an attempt to ease their wage bill issues, and Spurs seem only too happy to assist them.

Mudryk is set to join on a season-long loan, while Adarabioyo is expected to complete a permanent move worth around £7 million — and together, the pair managed zero goals and zero assists in 23 Premier League appearances last season.

Chelsea, unlike the North London club, sit fourth in the Premier League table after making it two wins from two against Brighton and Fulham — with dramatic 3-2 and 4-3 victories.

Last season, Chelsea finished 10th, collecting only nine points more than Spurs’ total of 41, a tally that left Tottenham vulnerable to relegation right up until the final gameweek of the Premier League season.

Look closely enough and it seemed reasonable to expect the two clubs to operate on a similar level this season, yet Tottenham Hotspur have instead found themselves, rather alarmingly, picking up the scraps from Chelsea’s table.

That should be a concern for supporters of the North London club — because after what initially looked like a serious summer, in which Spurs brought in Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Savio, Jan Paul van Hecke, Omar Marmoush, and more proven Premier League talent, this development sends an unsettling message.

It is one thing to sign players from Manchester City; Enzo Maresca’s side are likely to be in the Premier League title race this season, and the Savio-Marmoush pairing bring several seasons of top-level experience under Pep Guardiola to London.

But taking two 'B squad' players from Chelsea who have shown little visible impact in the Premier League? What exactly can this duo offer that outweighs the benefit it gives the Blues in trimming their wage bill, and improving their own competitive position?

How good can Mudryk and Tosin really be if Spurs are paying £7m and covering the pair’s wages, only for Chelsea potentially to get the last laugh?

In a summer when Spurs seemed intent on turning over a new leaf, their displays on the pitch have barely improved, and their transfer business now looks set to end on a disappointing note.

And while supporters of the North London club will naturally remain focused on hoping that Fernandes, Tonali, Savio and Marmoush come good, they should also pay much closer attention to the duo Chelsea look overwhelmingly likely to have sold to them at a premium.