Tottenham Hotspur look set to welcome Fabio Paratici back to the club and he already has an established friendship with the new CEO.
Fabio Paratici first arrived at Tottenham four years ago as their managing director of football and he played a key role in bringing Antonio Conte to the club.
His influence extended to the transfer market, as Spurs signed Juventus players Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, as well as Cristian Romero, who also played for Juventus, before joining Atalanta.
Despite being handed a two-year ban from football for financial malpractice, Paratici continued at Spurs as a consultant.
It was recently reported that Paratici was expected to return to Tottenham. This looked even more likely when he was spotted in Bilbao, attending the Europa League final between Spurs and Manchester United.
Fabio Paratici gets on well with Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham
Tottenham have been busy appointing new figures at the club. Recently, Vinai Venkatesham was named the new CEO.
Some supporters had concerns over his credentials, as he was at Arsenal during the years when they failed to achieve top-four finishes in the Premier League. However, he received praise for his record on fan engagement.
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According to TBR Football, Venkatesham has developed a good relationship with Paratici, which bodes well for the future.
TBR correspondent Graeme Bailey said: “It’s fair to say that Paratici’s fingerprints are all over anything Tottenham do. He [Levy] trusts him. Vinai [Venkatesham], the new CEO from Arsenal as well, gets on very well with Levy and Paratici. It’s almost like a Holy Trinity operating in the hierarchy now.
“Obviously, Lange is still there, but he’s quite commercial. Paratici is heavily involved in everything Spurs are doing and they love what he’s done before. He’s got brilliant contacts and they trust him.”
Paratici will be welcomed back at Spurs with open arms
Paratici was well-liked during his first spell at Tottenham. Supporters enjoyed sharing photos of him on a phone call, as he was known to often be in conversations to bring new players to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
His signings have been compared with those signed by Lange and the consensus is clear. While Spurs are believed to have flopped in last summer’s transfer market, Paratici was fundamental in signing some top players. Spurs will be all the better off having him back in an official capacity.