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Time was running out for Fabio Paratici to appease his never-satisfied compatriot in the January transfer window.

Antonio Conte, who took the Tottenham job midway through the 2021/22 campaign, was insistent on personnel upgrades arriving in the winter. However, the market was conspiring against Paratici at an early but critical juncture in Conte's reign.

They'd pushed for Porto's Luis Díaz, only to see him move to Liverpool, as well as athletic phenom Adama Traore, who instead joined Barcelona on loan from Wolves. Sofyan Amrabat, Morocco's future World Cup star, was noted as the priority midfield target, but that deal was struggling to get off the ground.

There was a point when it seemed Conte would be left with a similar squad he inherited. Walking away wasn't the most ludicrous possibility. With his broad network failing, Paratici opted for familiarity. Calls were made to friendly faces, and Juventus' willingness to part ways with two maligned stars proved to be the Lilywhites' gain. Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur signed on Deadline Day, and the pair proved immediate hits in N17.

Paratici's hit-rate during his two years as managing director is perhaps spottier than most are willing to admit, but his expertise regarding the Italian market is second to none. More specifically, he knows Juventus like the back of his hand. While plenty has changed in Turin since his departure, Spurs' returning director doubtlessly has contacts at his old stomping ground, and supporters are desperate for the "don" to work his magic and sign the latest star out of Piedmont.

Tottenham supporters are willing Paratici to make Kenan Yıldız push

When I covered Juventus between 2020 and 2022, there had been a clear shift in transfer policy. The emphasis was on getting younger and developing the academy, and there's no denying the club's success in regards to the latter, even if they're yet to return to the summit of calcio since their tyrannical reign over Serie A came to a close at the start of the decade.

There was plenty of excitement over Nicolò Fagioli, Fabio Miretti, Matías Soulé, and Nicolò Rovella, for example, but none were deemed of the requisite quality (since proven untrue). The same cannot be said for Turkish sensation Kenan Yıldız, who enjoyed a brief spell with Juventus Next Gen before earning a first-team call-up in 2023.

At 18, Yıldız became Juve's youngest foreign goalscorer in Serie A, and after just a season of his talent sparkling, the lucrative honour of donning the club's fated No. 10 shirt was bestowed upon him. The teenager had previously signed a long-term contract extension, but this was the ultimate sign of commitment.

The Old Lady certainly hasn't got everything right in recent years, but selecting Yıldız to function as their figurehead of hope has since proven wise. Yıldız, in short, is a superstar in the making. He's who Spurs supporters are desperate for Paratici to acquire amid the newfound landscape of lofty ambition.

Yıldız's brilliance manifested amid a breakout 2024/25 season, during which he recorded 11 goal Serie A goal contributions while primarily stationed wide left for the Bianconeri. There's a lot to like about Yıldız, including his quick feet, two-footedness, directness and low socks, but it's the kid's ball-striking that has thrust his stock to soaring heights. He's an xG defier, and we like those type around here.

In fact, I don't think Son Heung-min is a bad comparison for Yıldız, who finishes with such ruthlessness off both feet. There's a growing inevitability about the end result when he works his way into certain positions, and although Michel Platini believes he can evolve into an outright No. 10, he's currently best served operating as a sharpshooter from an inside left position.

Despite Wilson Odobert's potential, left wing is regarded as a position of need for Spurs in 2026, and Yıldız is the superstar-in-waiting that'd send the fanbase into a frenzy. Well, judging by social media comment sections, anyway. However, the return of Paratici doesn't render any deal likely. Juventus aren't going to dispose of their franchise face as willingly as they did Kulusevski and Bentancur, even if they have made some rather curious decisions in the market recently.

The Italians have every right to demand as much as they please for the Turkish starlet, who adores his current home. But hey, Don Fabio may well give us a chance.

Tottenham Hotspur have so many wonderful young footballers who are already breaking out as top players for the team like Lucas Bergvall and Destiny Udogie, or they are showing flashes of future brilliance like Archie Gray, Mathys Tel, and Wilson Odobert.

The future is bright for Spurs, but perhaps no player better epitomizes the future greatness to come at Tottenham than an individual who isn't even on the team right now. Just 18 years old, center back Luka Vuskovic has been one of the best players in the entire Bundesliga since getting starts for Hamburg this season, on loan from Spurs.

There's only one reason why Vuskovic isn't on the senior side right now, and that's because there are too many good center backs at Tottenham. Spurs have Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who are both world-class players, and they also have a strong No. 3 in Kevin Danso behind them with Ben Davies, Kota Takai, and Radu Dragusin (injured) providing more depth.

Vuskovic has been even better than advertised for Hamburg this season, and people around Tottenham were already comparing him to a Sergio Ramos regen. Well, that wild praise may not have been so far-fetched after all, judging by how Vuskovic is doing for club and country.

Luka Vuskovic is a star in the making

In a recent 1-0 win for the U21 Croatia team over the Ukraine, Vuskovic stepped up to take a free kick for his team and nearly scored a beauty, curling the ball to the far post and watching the ball smack the post for an agonizing miss.

We've already seen Vuskovic score a great goal for Hamburg and come close to scoring on multiple occasions, as he's good for more than just his head on the attacking end. Vuskovic is advanced beyond his years technically, and a free kick struck this well, which is impressive regardless of the competition of course, is a clear sign of quality.

Vuskovic can do just about anything a center back needs to on the football pitch - and then some. If that sounds a bit like Ramos to you, then that shouldn't come as a surprise. This special athlete has no glaring weaknesses to his game at such a young age, and if Vuskovic can become a deadly set-piece taker for Tottenham and score goals from range, then when he comes back to Spurs, he'll be like having a midfield maestro from the center back position .

Tottenham Hotspur have added so much more young talent over the past couple of years, including in the summer 2025 transfer market with the additions of winger Mohammed Kudus and center midfielder Xavi SImons.

So it's going to be more commonplace to watch Spurs players make it on individual awards list, and more will be coming in future years as these young talents develop and still others, like Luka Vuskovic and Mathys Tel, begin to emerge.

The biggest gem Tottenham have in the senior side right now is center midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who was exceptional in the 2024/25 season and proved key to the club ultimately winning the Europa League.

Although Bergvall has been frustratingly underrated, Tuttosport have the right idea with the young Swedish star, as they placed him on their final shortlist of the 25 nominees to win the 2025 Golden Boy Award.

There is one big absence for Tottenham

Better yet, Bergvall, though he is the best young player on Tottenham, wasn't the only one to crack the list. Even though he's not a key starter, fellow center midfielder Archie Gray also snuck onto the shortlist, and with his start to the 2025/26 season under a much more competent coach in Thomas Frank, there's hopes he can continue to rack up the accolades and importance going forward, too.

Conspicuous by his absence is 18-year-old center back Luka Vuskovic, but he likely hasn't played enough games at the highest level to garner appreciation for a shortlist like this one. But with his electrifying start to the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, even as a central defender, you can rest assured the teenage sensation will be on one of these lists in the future. Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert will be 21, so their time is numbered for next year's award, which is only given to U21 players.

The competition to win is stiff, so Gray and even Bergvall likely won't get the award. Pau Cubarsi, Desire Doue, Kenan Yildiz, Dean Huijsen, and Arda Guler have a lot more hype and will likely be the frontrunners for the award. As the Champions League winner, Doue has the main edge, and it's a reminder that Tottenham could have had him in 2024 if Daniel Levy were more serious about big transfers.

Tottenham having two players on the list means that they, PSG, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Chelsea were the only teams to have multiple finalists for the Golden Boy. Both Real Madrid and PSG have three in total.

Vinai Venkatesham may have Arsenal ties, but boy, does he make it hard not to admire him. Tottenham's chief executive officer (CEO) has once again spoken with impressive clarity and precision when explaining how the club's new leadership structure will work.

Fabio Paratici's inevitable return has been made official, with Spurs' announcement confirming that the Italian will work alongside Johan Lange, who has been promoted from technical director, as joint sporting directors.

Sharing this role is pretty uncommon, although Thomas Frank is familiar with the model. The Dane arrived at Brentford almost a decade ago when Phil Giles and Rasmus Ankersen were acting as co-sporting directors. Their partnership was successful for six years before the latter opted to build his own sports investment fund, Sport Republic.

So while uncommon, Tottenham's new leadership structure is hardly unprecedented. Nevertheless, some may be interested to see how exactly Lange and Paratici will share their responsibilities. Well, fortunately, Spurs have hired an excellent communicator in Vinai, who was quickly on hand to explain how it will all work.

How Tottenham's joint-sporting directors will work together

Soon after the news was made official, Tottenham dropped an interview with the CEO on social media.

Vinai first notes that Paratici has been working for the club on a consultancy basis, having resigned as managing director in April 2023 after being suspended for 30 months by FIFA for his role in Juventus's 'Plusvalenza' scandal.

Paratici thus already has a working relationship with Lange, and Vinai's breakdown of their roles should offer confidence that their partnership could prove to be a balanced and, ultimately, an effective one.

"In terms of Johan's [Lange's] areas of focus, he'll be focused on scouting, performance, football insights, performance analysis and the academy," Vinai outlined. "Fabio [Paratici] will be more focused on players, the transfer window, and the loans and pathways department."

Despite their different expertise, the pair will "work together on everything," Vinai adds. "They will both come together around squad planning and player recommendations."

While some may fear clashes and disagreements, differences of opinion are to be welcomed by the CEO. Ultimately, the club clearly believe that the skill sets of their joint-sporting directors go hand-in-hand and should contribute to a harmonious relationship.

The proof will be in the pudding, and supporters are already expecting a busy January, given the messaging that's come out from the top brass since Daniel Levy's departure.

The significant hierarchical changes, cash injections and return of the "don" could make for an exciting winter.

Tottenham Hotspur watched Son Heung-min leave the club in the summer transfer window by his own volition, and the biggest legend in the club's history is currently enjoying his time in the United States. Meanwhile, Tottenham are playing great football without him because of all the new additions, especially Thomas Frank as the manager, but there are still serious questions about the left wing spot that Son left behind.

Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert are highly promising wingers, and they have proven that at the U21 level for the French national team. But that's not the same as being stars in the Premier League every week, and while the two young guns are flashing real potential, neither are the finished product yet.

After striking out on Savinho in the summer transfer window and then watching the Brazilian re-sign with Manchester City despite a rather dreary start to the 2025/26 season, Spurs are back to the drawing board on the left wing.

One player they considered signing on the right wing before settling on countryman Mohammed Kudus was Ghanaian winger Antoine Semenyo over at Bournemouth. Well, Semenyo has been even better this season, taking down Tottenham head-to-head and outplaying everyone else in the Premier League with six goals and three assists, starring on both wings for the Cherries.

Another hidden release clause for Tottenham to find

Now all the big clubs in England want a piece of Semenyo, and while Bournemouth want even more money for the 25-year-old next year than they did in 2025, that may not matter depending on one key factor.

TalkSPORT's Alex Crook reports that Antoine Semenyo actually has a release clause in his contract with Bournemouth that will be ready to be activated next year. However, the Cherries really don't want to lose Semenyo, so they have been keeping the exact price of it under wraps, which sounds eerily similar to a recent example from a failed Tottenham summer 2025 transfer.

Tottenham inadvertently triggered the release clause of Nottingham Forest star attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White with a bid of 60 million pounds. That led to Evangelos Marinakis and Forest having a meltdown, throwing a tantrum, and blocking the transfer by threatening legal action before getting MGW to sign a new contract in all the mess.

It stands to reason, then, that if Semenyo has a release clause that Bournemouth really don't want clubs to know about, then it must be lower than the 75+ million pounds they are asking for. Since it hasn't been triggered yet, that also implies that it must be active from and until a certain point, so Bournemouth could either accept a bid sooner if their results fade or end up losing him for less than they want in 2026.

We're on the downslope of the October international break, meaning Aston Villa's visit, which seemed an age away as recently as last week, is suddenly fast-approaching.

Tottenham were able to successfully mitigate the first hectic period of a 2025/26 campaign that simply won't relent, enjoying an unbeaten run after the September interval.

With more Champions League fixtures and a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie upcoming, another daunting few weeks is in store for Thomas Frank's side, who sit pretty towards the top of the Premier League table.

However, there's a sense that this team can move through the gears as the season progresses, assuming we avoid major injuries (which cannot be guaranteed!). Nevertheless, if Spurs want to build on their sturdy foundations, perhaps eking out more of some squad members will be imperative.

Here are the four players with the most to prove after the October break.

Mohammed Kudus and João Palhinha have settled in superbly, while Xavi Simons has offered glimpses and cameos. It's clear that the Dutchman will come good.

However, for another summer signing, Randal Kolo Muani, less can be discerned. The versatile French forward rocked up without much football under his belt, having appeared for Juventus at the Club World Cup in June/start of July.

We've so far been subject to just one substitute appearance against Villarreal, with a 'dead leg' so far preventing Kolo Muani from making his Premier League debut. The injury setback means his loan has gotten off to a far-from-ideal start, but the Frenchman's fitness has been built up over the break, and there's hope he'll soon be in a position to contribute.

There's hope that the multi-faceted forward will add another dimension to Spurs' attack.

Only Dean Henderson has prevented more goals in the Premier League this season than Spurs' No. 1, who seemingly still has something to prove to factions of the fanbase.

While many are content with the Italian, the sky-high ceiling of Antonín Kinsky is intriguing, and seeing more of the Czech certainly wouldn't be a bad thing. Vicario may have produced some outstanding saves this term, but he's also been at fault for several of Spurs' concessions.

He's a superb shot-stopper and a huge dressing room figure, but can Vicario function as the figure of calm between the posts that a team competing among the elite requires?

After leading Spurs' scoring charts last season and delivering the all-important moment in Bilbao, hopes were high for Brennan Johnson after Frank took the job.

The Dane had coaxed a fine season out of Kevin Schade at Brentford in 2024/25, a player who isn't wildly different in profile to Johnson, and many believed the new manager would help maximise the Welshman's abilities while hiding his flaws.

However, after starting the first three Premier League games of the season, Johnson has occupied the bench, with the more technically secure Wilson Odobert preferred down the left. Now, there are rumours of a potential move for Schade next summer, which would perhaps call time on Johnson's divisive Tottenham career.

To prevent Frank from going after one of his old beneficiaries, Johnson must maximise his upcoming opportunities. His best work so far came against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup.

I'm a big Mathys Tel fan. He may not be quite as special as I envisaged him to be, but my character assessment of the 20-year-old suggests he'll give himself the best chance of thriving at the highest level.

Much of the reasonable discourse surrounding Tel has focused on his optimal role, and I've so far been unsure as to how Frank can maximise a profile that is fairly unique and perhaps specialised. However, Tel was impressive as Spurs' No. 9 at Leeds United before the break, and Richarlison's poor run of form means many would be content with the young forward leading the line against Villa this week.

Tel's performance at Elland Road did quieten a few, there's no doubt about that, but can he now produce a good run of form domestically to ensure Frank has a serious selection headache once Dominic Solanke and Kolo Muani return to full fitness?

Tottenham Hotspur have put together one of the most impressive summer transfer windows on the actual Premier League pitch this season, because while they spent less than fellow title contenders Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool, they had a higher success rate of new signings this year.

If you consider Mathys Tel's long-term upside, then Tottenham are batting 1.000 in terms of players who have debuted (Randal Kolo Muani is still an unknown). Because he's been their worst signing, yet he's been a key contributor at 20 years old. Mohammed Kudus has been one of the best players in the entire Premier League through seven matchdays, Xavi Simons is already a vital player as well, and Joao Palhinha has been as good as he was in his first stint in the Premier League with Fulham.

Kudus, Simons, and Tel are all permanent members of Tottenham, and Spurs supporters are hoping that Palhinha will get the nod next. As with Tel, Tottenham have a 25-30 million pound option to make his transfer permanent, and even though he is 30, he is so important all-around and has shown so much robust athleticism that there's optimism he has many years left in the tank.

According to a report from Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is a "big fan" of the defensive midfielder, who is "unlikely" to stay at Bayern Munich after the 2025/26 season. Plettenberg reiterates an "excellent relationship" between Frank and Palhinha, as well as genuine interest from Spurs in keeping the player despite Bayern and Spurs having yet to engage in official transfer talks.

The optimism within Tottenham is apparent

Plettenberg isn't the first or even the second international transfer insider to state that Palhinha to Tottenham is expected next year, and, like Fabrizio Romano, he's caging his reporting by stating nothing is remotely close to being finalized.

But the optimism is palpable, emanating from the fanbase, locker room, and within the walls of the club itself. Palhinha is one of Tottenham's own already, showing great leadership and heart as a perfect fit for both how the supporters and how Thomas Frank wants Spurs to play.

At 25 million pounds, even if Palhinha only has, say, two years left in the tank, two years of close to world-class defensive midfield play is easily worth that kind of money when you look at the landscape of the current transfer market trends. No. 6's are increasingly important in the Premier League and Champions League, and Spurs finally have a great one.

Mohammed Kudus's superb start to the 2025/26 season continued over the October international break, as he helped Ghana book their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Signed from rivals West Ham in the summer, Kudus has quickly developed into the attacking star of Thomas Frank's team. The masterful ball-retainer and determined dribbler is joint-top of the Premier League assist charts, and entered the break off the back of scoring his first goal for the club away at Leeds United.

It's hard to imagine Frank's outfit functioning without him, so seeing him return to Hotspur Way injury-free was all the majority of Spurs fans cared about. However, Kudus was playing for much more when he teamed up with his Ghanaian teammates over the break.

Mohammed Kudus becomes latest Spurs star to confirm World Cup place

Kudus, who grew up in the "ghetto" (as he once described it) town of Nima, has previously said representing his country "means everything" to him. He'd recorded 44 Ghana caps before the October break, and has operated as a key figure in the Black Stars setup since he made his debut in 2019.

The maverick playmaker has already featured at a World Cup in 2022, but Ghana disastrously failed to qualify for the upcoming African Cup of Nations. Thus, there was huge pressure on Kudus and his countrymen to deliver during the qualifying process for next summer's World Cup.

They entered the final two matchdays atop Group I and in control of their own destiny, but recent failures may well have facilitated some angst within Otto Addo's squad. However, they made light work of the Cental African Republic in their first October outing, with Kudus recording an assist for the opening goal in their 5-0 rout.

That set the stage for Tottenham's No. 20 to emerge as the hero when they faced recent nemesis, Comoros, who have won the previous two head-to-head meetings, at the weekend. Only a point was required, but Kudus’s tap-in just after the half-time interval secured a 1-0 win for the Black Stars.

As a result, Ghana became the fifth African nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, having reached five of the previous six. They were memorably quarter-finalists in 2010, although that achievement was one-upped by Morocco in Qatar.

There's bound to be heavy Spurs representation in North America next summer, with Kudus one of many poised to enjoy the biggest stage.

Although Tottenham Hotspur are third in the Premier League at the October international break and have shown marked improvements under Thomas Frank after a successful summer transfer window, there is still a lot of work to be done before Spurs can come close to reaching their ultimate goal of competing for Premier League and Champions League titles.

Their most glaring need heading into the next transfer windows is on the left wing, as the spot vacated by Son Heung-min has yet to be filled despite the promise that youngsters Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert can potentially bring in about three to five years.

Tottenham need a solution here and now. Mohammed Kudus has been on fire on the right side of the formation, but the former West Ham standout needs a lot more help on the left side in order for Tottenham to have a truly dangerous and balanced attack with some semblance of real week-to-week consistency.

Kudus's Ghanian national teammate Antoine Semenyo was actually linked to Spurs more closely in the summer before Tottenham ultimately went after the ex-Ajax man. Semenyo was a breakout star for Bournemouth in the 2024/25 season, but his stock has only risen in 2025/26 with the Cherries playing even better football - including embarrassing Spurs on Matchday 3.

One of the best in the Premier League right now

Only Erling Haaland has more goal contributions than Semenyo's nine, split more evenly between six goals and three assists. The explosive dribbler has been a mainstay on both the left and right flanks for Bournemouth, so he could be an ideal solution for Tottenham on the left wing opposite of Kudus. With Savinho now tied to Manchester City for the foreseeable future, Semenyo is 100 percent the best Premier League winger on the transfer market going forward.

That, then, begets the problem of demand and a sky-high asking price that will be over 75 million pounds. Manchester United, Liverpool, and the other big clubs in England will be after Semenyo, and since he is so important to Bournemouth, who could make it to Europe this season, the Cherries have no reason to sell.

There are, however, two other reasons beyond cost, which may be less onerous to Spurs with Daniel Levy gone, that could make a deal difficult. This may sound silly, but it is important to Spurs. Semenyo is a self-admitted Arsenal fan, and after being burned by Eberechi Eze this summer in their transfer pursuit, Spurs are going to think long and hard about going for someon who dreams of their hated North London rivals instead. It's just not worth the trouble.

But then there's also the issue of having both Semenyo and Kudus on the team. When they are both available, that's great and a match made in heaven. The thing is, when both are on AFCON duties in the middle of the season, how many dropped points will that be? Can Tottenham function without both superstar wingers and with Dejan Kulusevski and, say, Mathys Tel as the starters? And what if Kulu gets injured again? Is Brennan Johnson someone they can trust?

These are all questions that make Semenyo less appealing in reality than he is on paper. That's not to say Semenyo shouldn't still be on the Tottenham transfer radar in 2026, but these are reasons that take Semenyo down a notch from a slam-dunk dream target to a good target with some valid question marks.

Tottenham Hotspur are in the top three in the 2025/26 Premier League table right now at the October international break, and a lot of the credit for the turnaround has to go to new manager Thomas Frank, who has stabilized this team and gotten them to play much more complete football tactically than predecessor Ange Postecoglou, who is currently humiliating himself at Nottingham Forest.

But not all the credit can go to Frank, as new additions to the squad in the summer 2025 transfer window have made their mark as top players in the Premier League. Mohammed Kudus, most prominently, has stepped his game up from West Ham and become a world-class winger for Spurs already, making a Tottenham attack without him almost unfathomable.

Fellow new young, big-name attacking addition Xavi Simons hasn't been as spellbinding as Kudus, but, he, too, looks like a real future building block for the Lilywhites. However, he's been overshadowed in the midfield by a more defensive player in Joao Palhinha, who actually has three goals to remind people that, in addition to being an excellent No. 6, he's not exactly a schlub wih the ball either.

Tottenham fans are smitten with Palhinha at this point, and most of them are hoping that Tottenham will invoke the 25 million pound option to buy the 30-year-old midfield veteran at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

Fabrizio Romano is optimistic

According to Fabrizio Romano on the Give Me Sport Market Madness podcast, there is a "good chance" that Tottenham will agree to keep Palhinha on a permanent basis at the end of the season and that Fab is "quite optimistic" that this will be the case, though he cages that by saying it's still early in the season and things could change:

"I think there is a good chance of seeing Palhinha staying at Tottenham in 2026. Then let's see if it's going to be via the option, or maybe they want to re-negotiate with Bayern. It's too early to say, still at the beginning of October, so many months to go before they make any decision. But internally, the feeling is very positive. Palhinha is happy at Tottenham, and Thomas Frank and Tottenham are also very happy with him. So it's a very, very good deal for all parties involved. And now it's going to be about the agreement with Bayern in 2026, again, it's still early, so let's see how the season will go. But the start of this loan deal has been positive, and all parties are more than happy to continue together. So I would be quite optimistic on that one, but again it's still a long season and we have to see what's going to happen next."

It would be an upset if Tottenham didn't keep Palhinha. Only injury or a vast decline in his quality could change that, and the latter happening seems to have a very low chance, given Palhinha was already one of the best 6's in the Premier League at Fulham, which is why he ended up at a club like Bayern in the first place.

Obviously, Palhinha is doing a lot more for Tottenham than he did at Bayern, and he's publicly made it clear that he's happier in North London. Tottenham needed a player with his athleticism and defensive quality, and now that they have him, 25 million pounds now looks like a small price to pay for that quality.