Football Italia

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma are interested in Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin and will continue negotiations for Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid) and Joshua Zirkzee (Manchester United) after Christmas.

Roma are determined to strengthen their team in the January transfer window as they aim to qualify for the Champions League this season.

Roma’s strategy for Raspadori and Zirkzee

La Gazzetta reports that the Giallorossi want to sign four new players next month. Two strikers, ideally Giacomo Raspadori and Joshua Zirkzee, one centre-back and, perhaps, one central midfielder.

After Christmas, Roma will resume talks with Atletico Madrid directors, trying to agree on favourable conditions to bring Raspadori back to Italy.

As for Zirkzee, the Giallorossi are pushing for a loan deal with an option to buy, but Manchester United are still not entirely convinced about parting ways with the Dutchman in the winter transfer window.

Gasp an admirer of Dragusin

According to Gazzetta, Dragusin is a top target in defence. The Giallorossi consider signing the ex-Genoa and Juventus defender on loan with an option to buy.

It is reported that Gian Piero Gasperini is an admirer of Dragusin, and the Romania international is tempted to move to the capital to revive his career.

The big target in central midfield is Genoa’s Morten Frendrup. The two clubs might discuss a loan swap deal with Nicolò Pisilli, who would reunite with Daniele De Rossi, a big admirer of the promising Italian midfielder.

Fabio Paratici is ready to start again at Fiorentina, now down to the final red tape issues with Tottenham Hotspur, but the turning point was a secretive meeting in Rome last week.

The contract has been drawn up and will run for four and a half years for a return to Serie A after his Juventus experiences.

The Viola had targeted him straight away, as had become clear on Saturday morning.

Paratici met with Fiorentina in Rome

However, the two calls made in the last few hours were also accompanied by a secret meeting a few days ago in Rome.

It was a meeting in the presence of an Italian intermediary, a former agent of some strikers who in his own time had impressed in Serie B, had a brief spell as director of sport, and took on a completely different role in recent years.

Roberto Goretti was also part of the encounter, who will remain at Fiorentina in the role he had before, eager to immediately clarify his position and purview.

Paratici would’ve already come back to Italy last summer if not for Milan changing their minds due to many behind the scenes rows, eventually opting for Igli Tare instead.

According to Il Corriere della Sera Fabio Paratici has reached an agreement with Fiorentina over a five-year deal, and the Italian director is now working to terminate his contract with Tottenham.

Fabio Paratici is set to become the new Fiorentina sporting director, having reached an agreement with the Serie A side, according to Corriere della Sera.

Paratici set to terminate Tottenham contract

The report claims that Paratici has already landed in Italy and is now working to terminate his contract with Tottenham.

Paratici will sign a five-year contract at the Stadio Franchi, and his priority will be to fix the team in the January transfer window, aiming to secure survival in 2025-26 before starting a new, ambitious project with the Tuscans.

Paratici’s January transfer strategy

Corriere della Sera claims that Paratici will make at least four or five signings in the winter transfer window and that he intends to confirm Paolo Vanoli, although the coach’s long-term future will inevitably be determined by results in the coming weeks.

We can confirm that since last night there has been direct contact between Fiorentina and Tottenham Hotspur director Fabio Paratici, who should give a response early next week.

The Viola are rock bottom of the Serie A table and the only team without a single victory so far this season.

They are expected to completely revamp the squad in the January transfer window, but are still reeling from the dismissal of coach Stefano Pioli and resignation of director Daniele Pradé.

The club requires a strong figure at the helm, a technical director and director of sport who can deal with this very delicate situation.

Fiorentina turn to Paratici for revival

There had been suggestions Fiorentina had spoken to Cristiano Giuntoli, who was sacked by Juventus, but we never got any confirmation on that rumour.

Instead, the top target is really Paratici, who only just returned to Tottenham Hotspur on October 15.

He had already been with Spurs from 2021 to April 2023, forced to step down during his ban imposed over inflated transfer fees and profits while at Juventus.

During that time, he worked with the Premier League club only as a consultant.

Now he must figure out how difficult it would be to leave Tottenham, and is expected to give Fiorentina an answer in the first few days of next week.

Dialogue is in progress, it is still early days in these negotiations, but it is certainly a situation worth tracking carefully.

Meanwhile, tomorrow afternoon current coach Paolo Vanoli will need a win to keep his job against Udinese.

Italy international Guglielmo Vicario has come under fire after his performance during Tottenham’s 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon: “Typical Vicario, always blaming someone else,” says Sky Sports’s Jamie Carragher.

It has been a few weeks to forget for Tottenham, who have slipped to 11th place in the league table and are currently six points outside the Champions League spots.

The latest disappointment came at the hands of Nottingham Forest; 16th in the Premier League after their 3-0 victory at the City Ground on Sunday.

Vicario under fire after 3-0 Tottenham loss

Vicario’s performances have been under particularly intense scrutiny over the last few weeks after his howler in a 2-1 loss against Fulham at the end of November.

Things went from bad to worse for him against Forest on Sunday. It was his risky pass to midfielder Archie Gray that led to Ibrahim Sangare pinching the ball and Callum Hudson-Odoi finishing from close range that sent Tottenham 1-0 down on Sunday.

A moment to forget for Archie Gray and Vicario 🫣

Ibrahim Sangaré brilliantly dispossesses him and plays it to Callum Hudson-Odoi to tap in and give Forest the lead! pic.twitter.com/N5JQVIgnVc

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 14, 2025

Tottenham then conceded another freak goal, again from Hudson-Odoi, who didn’t make any attempts to hide the fact that he had meant to cross rather than shoot from the left touchline.

Callum Hudson-Odoi crosses the ball in but it goes over Vicario and straight in! 😮 pic.twitter.com/hxJp4mY9T6

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 14, 2025

“Typical Vicario, he’s always blaming someone else. Every time I see him when a goal goes in, he’s throwing his arms at someone else. Just kick it out of play,” said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher while reviewing the stopper’s recent performances.

"Typical Vicario, he's always blaming someone else" @Carra23 not impressed with Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario 🧤 pic.twitter.com/30X8ynUxS8

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 14, 2025

Head coach Thomas Frank has come out in defence of his goalkeeper, arguing that there was no correlation between the goals that Vicario conceded against Nottingham Forest and Fulham over the last few weeks: “Two different situations, you can’t even compare them. Simply because the ball was out on the side in one situation, and the other was in the middle of the pitch,” he explained in frustration.

When asked if Vicario’s decision making should be called into question, Frank said: “I think Archie (Gray) did very well, this is a clear one. You see that every week: Premier League, Serie A, LaLiga, all over the world: In, bounce out with the first touch. Unfortunately we took a touch and then we lost the ball.”

Some supporters have not looked as kindly on Vicario’s recent performances, though.

“Inter Milan, pls prepare your January Vicario bid,” one fan wrote on X.

“He’s a great shot stopper, but frightens me when he’s on the ball,” another added.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario wants to join Inter next summer, but the Nerazzurri don’t want to pay more than €20m to sign the Italy international.

Italian goalkeeper Vicario is eager to join Inter next summer, according to the latest report of Gazzetta dello Sport.

Vicario wants Inter move

The pink paper had reported in November that Vicario wanted to leave Spurs at the end of the season and that the Nerazzurri were interested in securing his services.

Vicario is grateful to Tottenham but wants to return to Serie A in the summer, so the Nerazzurri will have to negotiate with Spurs, as the goalkeeper’s contract runs out in June 2028.

Vicario a long-time Inter target

According to the report, however, Inter are unwilling to invest more than €20m to sign the former Empoli and Cagliari goalkeeper who was already a Nerazzurri target in 2023, before the 29-year-old completed a permanent move to North London.

Vicario has kept nine clean sheets in 22 Tottenham appearances this season.

He’s Italy second-choice keeper behind Gigio Donnarumma and has five international appearances to his name.

It has been an eventful few weeks for Italy international Guglielmo Vicario over the last few weeks: From his howler against Fulham to the support he received against Newcastle, and with suggestions that he could be keen on a Serie A return, here is everything that’s happened with the former Empoli goalkeeper over the last few games.

What has happened to Vicario at Tottenham?

Collectively, Tottenham have struggled to get going after the November international break. Thomas Frank’s side had been in a respectable fifth place heading into the break, one point off the guaranteed Champions League positions and four points off second, but have since slipped down to 11th with a record of a draw and two defeats since then.

This troubling run of form began with a 4-1 hammering by arch rivals and league leaders Arsenal in the North London Derby, which was followed up with a surprise 2-1 defeat against another London outfit in Fulham.

Vicario earned his fair share of pelters after that Fulham game, given that he was directly at fault for the goal that sent the opponents 2-0 up: Rushing out of his area, taking far too long to clear and eventually deciding to play a hospital pass directly into the feet of goalscorer Harry Wilson.

Vicario was booed by the Tottenham supporters at the time, but those same supporters have since come out and shown their support for their goalkeeper during Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw away against Newcastle.

“3,000 up here, the way the supporters throughout the game were singing, and I also heard them singing and praising Vic throughout the game, that’s togetherness,” head coach Frank noted after full-time.

This is not the first time that Vicario has faced criticism during his Tottenham tenure, though. He has previously been called out on his lack of conviction from set-pieces and crosses, an issue which has occasionally spilled into his time with the Italy national team as well.

Why Vicario is being linked with a move back to Italy

Meanwhile, there have been multiple reports in Italy over the last few days claiming that Vicario is keen to return to Serie A over the summer. Two major newspapers in Italy, La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport both claim that Inter are particularly keen on bringing the 29-year-old back to his homeland.

The Nerazzurri are expected to part ways with veteran first-choice stopper Yann Sommer once his contract expires at the end of June, and it remains to be seen what the future holds for understudy Josep Martinez.

Vicario’s current salary is not considered excessive, reported to be around €2.8m per season in wages in North London, and there have been suggestions that Spurs will listen to offers in the region of €30m for Vicario in the summer.

If Tottenham were to sell Vicario, they might be wise to do so during the next summer transfer window, given that his contract is set to expire in 2028. If Spurs were to hold off for another year, Vicario would then be heading into the final year of his deal, which would likely bring a significant drop-off in value.

Tottenham coach Thomas Frank is glad that Spurs fans showed support towards Guglielmo Vicario during a 2-2 draw against Newcastle and is ‘pretty sure’ Destiny Udogie didn’t suffer an injury despite limping in the final minutes.

Tottenham coach Frank provided some updates on Italy internationals Vicario and Udogie after Spurs’ 2-2 away draw at Newcastle last night.

A brace from ex-Genoa star Cristian Romero helped the North Londoners secure one point at St. James’ Park, ending a three-game losing streak.

Frank: Tottenham fans put ‘much effort’ to support the team and Vicario

The away Tottenham fans sang for the team and Vicario during the match, easing the pressure on the Italian goalkeeper who had been booed following a clumsy error in a 2-1 home loss against Fulham in the previous weekend.

“You could hear them here, and it’s a difficult place to come as away fans and be loud enough so we can hear them,” Frank said via Football London.

“So they put so much effort into it, matched the effort from the team and that togetherness drove us forward, and it gave us a more than well-deserved point.”

Vicario’s teammate and compatriot, Udogie, added: “It’s always good to have the fans behind you and we’re really happy for Vic. We just keep going.”

Udogie fitness update after Newcastle 2-2 Tottenham

Udogie was seen limping in the final minutes, but Frank clarified that the Italian defender was doing fine.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure. I haven’t heard anything,” he concluded.

Vicario has made one Italy appearance under the new Azzurri coach, Gennaro Gattuso, while Udogie was not called up in September and November and was an unused substitute in October’s games against Estonia and Israel.

Gazzetta claims that Tottenham have set their sights on Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to potentially replace Inter target Guglielmo Vicario.

Tottenham’s interest in Aston Villa goalkeeper Martinez could pave the way for Vicario’s Inter transfer in the summer, according to Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

Martinez could replace Vicario at Tottenham

The pink paper had reported on Tuesday that Inter were once again interested in Vicario after failing to sign the Italian goalkeeper from Empoli in 2023.

The latest update suggests that Tottenham might be looking to Martinez in the summer to replace the Azzurri’s second-choice goalkeeper.

According to the report, Vicario wants to return to Serie A and has already informed his agents that this could be his last season in North London.

Inter’s obstacles in pursuit of Vicario

Martinez signed a new contract until 2029 with Aston Villa last summer, but his Tottenham transfer at the end of the season can’t be ruled out, according to Gazzetta.

The Nerazzurri are expected to need well over €25m to land Vicario next year, and they’ll also have to sit down with Fabio Paratici, hardly an easy task given his strained relationship with Inter President Beppe Marotta.

Reports in Italy claim that Inter have targeted Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for next summer, but Spurs’ asking price and a strained relationship between Fabio Paratici and the Nerazzurri President Beppe Marotta could hinder the Serie A club’s pursuit.

Inter are expected to part ways with Yann Sommer at the end of the season, and both Gazzetta and Corriere dello Sport reported on Tuesday that the Nerazzurri have set their sights on Vicario as a potential replacement in 2026-27.

According to both newspapers, the 29-year-old wants to return to Italy at the end of the season, and Inter have been long-time admirers of the ex-Empoli star, having already held talks to sign him in 2023, before the goalkeeper moved to North London.

Will Inter spend 25m or more for Vicario?

Reports suggest that signing Vicario would cost Inter at least €25m, if not €30m, and it’s not guaranteed that club owners will give the green light to such investment, as their policy in the market is to sign mostly promising prospects with a low salary, as proved by recent acquisitions of Petar Sucic and Ange-Yoan Bonny, among others.

As highlighted by Gazzetta, however, there’s another possible obstacle on Inter’s way, given that Spurs director Fabio Paratici will be unwilling to do any favour to the Nerazzurri and especially to their President Beppe Marotta.

The pair worked together at Juventus for several years until 2018, when Marotta left the club a few months after the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Marotta not on good terms with Paratici

The signing of the Portuguese forward helped strain the relationship between Paratici and Marotta, with the latter joining Inter a few months after leaving Juventus.

“I am on good terms with everyone at Juventus, except Paratici,” Marotta told Tuttosport in May 2021.

“The problem is on a human level, not professional.”