Tottenham Hotspur, in general, have had a serious problem with recruitment over the years. For every Mohammed Kudus and Micky van de Ven, there are five Radu Dragusins, Randal Kolo Muanis, and Guglielmo Vicarios to take their place. The latest transfer target from Serie A has interim manager Igor Tudor written all over it, and Juventus center back Federico Gatti is not the kind of player Spurs should be going after.
In general, it has been baffling to see how often Spurs are linked to fairly underwhelming center back options, even as they have about four excellent central defenders on their books - five if you include Kota Takai along with Luka Vuskovic as standout young loanees to the Bundesliga - and this isn't a new phenomenon in 2026 either.
Per a report from Turin based newspaper Tuttosport, new Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti is ready to finally sell the cult hero Gatti this summer, sacrificing him so the club can sign more talented players as the Italian international has predictably floundered in a more modern attacking based system. Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest are the two notable Premier League clubs with interest in the 27 year old, who is no longer remotely a young player with upside.
Federico Gatti is the player version of Igor Tudor
Gatti has been below par this season, and it honestly speaks volumes that Forest are the other club interested. That is the level with which Spurs have regressed to, and it is reflected in the Premier League table by the fact that both former clubs of Ange Postecoglou are locked in a relegation fight.
This season, Gatti has brought little value to Juventus. He has avoided mistakes, which is a positive, but he has also offered very little actual progression in terms of his passing, nor has he been winning the ball for a team that should be playing on the front foot. In a lot of ways, Gatti epitomizes the mediocrity that has seeped Juve; he is OK but nowhere near good enough.
And that is the sort of player Tottenham need to avoid. The interest in Gatti has Tudor written all over it, and what can be said about Gatti can also be said about Tudor, which may be why he liked the center back so much when he was coaching in Turin. Tudor is a cult hero and admirable figure, but he has little in the form of talent or accomplishments. He is inoffensive but nowhere near good enough.