Football365

Insider Ben Jacobs has revealed interest from four giant clubs in Pedro Porro, with two making contact for the Tottenham man, but he “always” wanted to stay with Spurs.

Tottenham were in relegation danger until the final day of last season. A victory against Everton meant they stayed up, and they’ve since made some big moves.

They’ve confirmed the signings of Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, while perhaps an even bigger development is right-back Porro‘s new contract, which will run until 2031.

The Spaniard has been one of Tottenham’s best and most consistent players during his three and a half seasons there so far, and amid a torrid time for the club, he gained a lot of admiration elsewhere, with a sense that he was too good to be playing there.

But not long after the season, his new deal has been signed, and insider Jacobs has revealed there was no other move in sight for the Spaniard.

He said on Last Word On Spurs: “Confident having secured Premier League status, although these contract talks were ongoing towards the end of the season, then paused – they were picked up, I believe, in the March international break.

“Then, obviously, everyone was focussed on Tottenham staying up and finally was able to get done very quickly. It’s a contract until 2031 and then an option of an additional year.

“Yes, there were links with Real Madrid, I never really bought that there was that much substance, a little bit more to the Manchester City interest, but they never made any kind of bid.

READ: Brighton ‘ready third offer’ to Tottenham for Luka Vuskovic with ‘verbal agreement’ reached

“Atletico Madrid and Bayern had also held some formative talks with the player camp, but Porro had always indicated to everybody that if Tottenham stayed up, he wanted to stay at the football club, and this is why they were able to finalise that one relatively fast.”

Tottenham improving their back line

Porro remaining at Spurs means there could be a very good back line next season. Though Cristian Romero is almost certain to leave, Micky van de Ven is reportedly set to stay, while Senesi and Robertson will likely come into the side.

That would mean for a centre-back partnership of Van de Ven and Senesi, with Porro and Robertson flanking them. That should, in theory, be a solid back four, with good defensive capabilities and the ability to get on the front foot and put other sides under pressure.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Arsenal have been calling for weeks to get a deal done to bring Sandro Tonali to the Emirates Stadium, but Tottenham Hotspur have now entered the race for the Newcastle United midfielder.

With Newcastle enduring a hugely disappointing 2025/26 campaign, Tonali’s days at St. James’ Park are likely to be numbered.

Arsenal were offered the chance to sign Tonali on the final day of the January transfer window.

Eventually, the Italy international midfielder stayed at St. James’ Park, but Arsenal remain keen on Tonali.

Arsenal, who won the Premier League title and reached the final of the Champions League last season under manager Mikel Arteta, want to reinforce their midfield in the summer transfer window, with sporting director Andrea Berta keen for the Gunners to build on their success.

Transfer guru Romano has revealed that Arsenal have been calling for Tonali for weeks, with Manchester City also in the race for the 26-year-old.

READ: Prem targets, Ronaldo, USA to star in five World Cup games not to miss this week

However, both Arsenal and Man City are now facing stiff competition from Tottenham for Tonali.

According to Romano, Tottenham are keen on a 2026 summer deal for the former AC Milan star, with Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi driving the north London club’s interest in the Italian, who was described as “a superstar player” by Newcastle CEO David Hopkinson on talkSPORT on February 4.

Arsenal and Tottenham competing for Sandro Tonali

Romano said about Tonali on his YouTube channel: “Tottenham today have entered the race very strong, very concrete, very determined to sign Sandro Tonali.

“And if Tottenham got this strong, my understanding is that it’s because Sandro Tonali is – important point of this video, important point of this information – keen on a move to Tottenham.

“Sandro Tonali is open to joining Tottenham.

“Sandro Tonali is ready to join Spurs, even without European football, even after a terrible season for Tottenham Hotspur, Tonali is attracted by the project, wants to play for Roberto De Zerbi.

“And so the possibility to say Tonali at Tottenham is really serious, is really concrete/

“Then let’s wait for the negotiation club-to-club.

“The understanding is that it could take around €100million package to sign Sandro Tonali, so around £85million.

“Let’s see, let’s follow the story, but Tottenham are going very strong.

“Arsenal have called for weeks, Manchester City in contact for weeks, but now Tottenham going all in for Sandro Tonali, the wanted player by Roberto De Zerb to step up the project and to show the ambition of their view.

“So, keep an eye on this one.”

Tonali, who won Serie A with Milan in the 2021/22 season, is under contract at Newcastle until the summer of 2028.

The Italian midfielder has made 110 appearances for Newcastle so far in his career, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists in the process.

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur have ‘entered the race’ to sign Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali this summer.

Tottenham narrowly avoided disaster at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, having secured Premier League survival on the final day of the season.

Head coach Roberto De Zerbi was drafted in on a lucrative contract in the final weeks of the season to save Spurs, and he just made enough of an impact to edge out West Ham in the race to avoid relegation.

But this does not make up for how shambolic Spurs were for most of the season, and De Zerbi made it clear after their survival that they need to be busy in this transfer window.

De Zerbi was presumably given a lot of assurances regarding transfers when he joined Spurs, and they do seem more ambitious in this window.

READ: Brighton ‘ready third offer’ to Tottenham for Luka Vuskovic with ‘verbal agreement’ reached

The north London side have already struck deals to sign Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers, while they are also working to sign Savinho, Jan Paul van Hecke and Joao Palhinha.

And now, it has emerged that they are making an audacious move for Newcastle standout Tonali, who has been heavily linked with several Big Six clubs in recent months.

Despite selling Anthony Gordon, Newcastle remain at risk of losing Tonali following their failure to qualify for Europe ahead of next season.

Spurs ‘enter the race’ to sign Sandro Tonali

In recent weeks, Man Utd, Arsenal and Man City have been mooted as destinations for Tonali, but Romano revealed on Monday evening that Spurs are another contender for the centre-midfielder.

Romano said on X: ‘EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham have entered the race to sign Sandro Tonali!

‘De Zerbi wants Tonali as new star for the midfield, ideal to step up #THFC level.

‘Spurs ready to face Man City and Arsenal in the race for Tonali for new ambitious project to prove their intentions.’

In recent days, Romano has also revealed that Man Utd are no longer a contender to sign Tonali this summer.

“Man Utd are not stopping there. They want at least one more midfielder and work is already taking place behind the scenes,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.

READ NEXT: ‘I’m hearing’ – Jacobs reveals Tottenham desire Chelsea star who ‘wants to stay’

“After completing the Ederson deal, the club will continue to push for further additions in that area.”

Romano added: “Manchester United are not going for Sandro Tonali at this stage. The intention of Manchester United is not to proceed.

“Manchester United has been interested in Tonali for some time, and he’s been on Manchester United’s shortlist, but now Manchester United believe that the player is too expensive.”

According to reports, Brighton are now ‘ready’ to make a ‘third offer’ to sign Tottenham Hotspur starlet Luka Vuskovic this summer.

Brighton are looking to pull off a major coup with the signing of Vuskovic, who emerged as one of Europe’s standout young centre-backs during the 2025/26 campaign.

The 19-year-old, who is part of Croatia’s World Cup squad, joined Tottenham for around £12m in 2023 from Hadjuk Split.

Vuskovic is yet to make his senior debut for the north London outfit, but he shone for Bundesliga side Hamburg in his loan spell this season. He scored six goals in his 28 appearances for the German outfit.

And his form for Hamburg has caught the attention of clubs around Europe, so Tottenham face losing him this summer.

READ:Tottenham ‘ahead of’ Liverpool for £39m ‘bargain’ signing amid Van Hecke ‘collapse’ claim

Initially, it was widely reported that Spurs would push to keep Vuskovic beyond this summer, but a report earlier this month claimed they have made a ‘U-turn’ and would be open to selling him to Brighton or another club if their asking price is met.

On Saturday evening, German reporter Florian Plettenberg revealed that Brighton have failed with an offer worth 35 million euros for Vuskovic, though he has a ‘verbal agreement’ with the Premier League side.

Plettenberg said on X: ‘BREAKING | Understand Tottenham have immediately rejected Brighton’s €35m offer for Luka Vuskovic.

‘A new offer from Brighton is very likely to follow.

‘As revealed, a verbal agreement between Brighton and Vuskovic is already in place. Brighton are currently the most concrete club in the race.’

Tottenham set ‘valuation’ as Brighton ‘ready third offer’

And on Sunday, a report from our colleagues at TEAMtalk revealed that Tottenham’s ‘valuation’ for Vuskovic has been set at £60m, presumably to try to price Brighton and others out of a deal.

The report claims:

‘Brighton’s opening proposal, understood to be worth around £30million, was initially met with resistance from Tottenham. Indeed, Spurs’ early position was that Vuskovic’s value was closer to double that figure, at almost £60m, given the enormous potential they believe he possesses.

‘Yet sources indicate the player’s camp have privately communicated that such a valuation is viewed as somewhat excessive at this stage of his career.’

Now, Football Insider are reporting that Brighton are ‘ready’ to submit a ‘third offer’ for Vuskovic, though they do not state how much this bid will be worth.

The report adds: ‘The Seagulls are understood to be readying an “improved” offer for their “top target”, having seen their second bid of £30million knocked back by the Lilywhites. Their pursuit of the 19-year-old is closely linked to Spurs’ attempts to buy Jan Paul van Hecke, with one deal potentially set to trigger the other as talks progress.

‘Tottenham are extremely reluctant to sell Vuskovic, but there is a growing belief that the player himself is keen to make the switch to the Amex Stadium.’

Tottenham are keen on bringing Liam Delap to north London from Chelsea in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Spurs narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season as a 1-0 win over Everton was enough to keep them up.

They have already made an excellent start by sealing the free transfers of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively.

Tottenham have also made two bids for Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, while Manchester City winger Savinho is reportedly high on their list of priorities.

A striker is another position they are looking to fill and transfer journalist Jacobs has revealed Tottenham are interested in Chelsea centre-forward Delap, who had a disappointing first season in west London.

READ:Tottenham ‘ahead of’ Liverpool for £39m ‘bargain’ signing amid Van Hecke ‘collapse’ claim

Jacobs said on the Last Word on Spurs YouTube channel: “I think that Liam Delap could be one to watch from Chelsea, another club that Tottenham wouldn’t normally do too much business with.

“Newcastle, Everton, Tottenham, the three clubs that like Delap. Before we can clarify whether anything is going to develop there, Delap wants to stay and fight for his place, so he’s going to understand where he is in this pecking order, with Joao Pedro number one under Xabi Alonso, who is going to be the number two striker?

“Is it still going to be Delap? Is it alternatively going to be Nico Jackson, who’s coming back from a loan spell at Bayern? I think unlikely, but Jackson wants pre-season to see if he can change the new manager’s mind.

“Once all that falls into place, if Delap is available on the market, Newcastle, Everton and Tottenham are the three Premier League clubs I’m hearing.”

Brazilian striker could be “collateral damage” – Murphy

Richarlison could be one forward to make way for Delap with former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy predicting the Brazilian could be “collateral damage” under Roberto De Zerbi.

READ:Liverpool star ‘announces’ decision to leave as Tottenham ‘lead race’ to sign him with £60m ‘offer’

Murphy told Goal: “I think so. The problem is [Dominic] Solanke has got lots of attributes that De Zerbi would like. De Zerbi loves a high press and he likes intense football. Solanke at his best is brilliant at that, but he just can’t stay fit. When you look at that, and obviously he’s not getting younger, then I think De Zerbi will bring in a striker.

“I probably think Richarlison could be collateral damage in that because he’s not really got the fans behind him. He tries his best. He doesn’t have the quality that the Tottenham fans want to see leading in the line. I think a striker inevitably will come through the door.”

Murphy added: “I think De Zerbi will want to bring in at least four, maybe more, but probably down the spine. I know they’ve brought in [Marcos] Senesi, who’s a seasoned pro in the Premier League, wonderful passer of the ball, send it forward.”

Tottenham are set to launch a “a slightly improved offer” for Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke, according to one transfer expert.

Spurs have flown out of the traps in the summer transfer window with the signings of Premier League defenders Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers.

The Tottenham hierarchy are looking to make sure they don’t face the same relegation trouble again after they survived the drop on the final day of the season.

And Spurs look likely to make a third signing soon if they can agree a fee with Brighton for Van Hecke as they look to bring in another centre-back.

So far Tottenham have had two bids rejected for the Seagulls star and now Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke insists that their imminent third bid will be worth around £55m.

READ: Tottenham ‘ahead of’ Liverpool for £39m ‘bargain’ signing amid Van Hecke ‘collapse’ claim

O’Rourke told Football Insider: “Spurs will come back with a slightly improved offer of around £55m for Van Hecke.

“Brighton turned down the first two offers because they want to make as much money as they can, but they’re not in the strongest position here.

“There’s a confidence that Tottenham can get this deal over the line because the player is interested in making that move to Tottenham as well and to work again with Roberto De Zerbi.

“There is plenty of optimism on Tottenham’s side and on the player’s side that a deal can be reached which is encouraging for Spurs that he wants to make the move.

“So I expect that third bid for Van Hecke will be pretty imminent.”

There have been rumours that Brighton could demand as much as £70m for the Netherlands international but Rafael van der Vaart insists it would be “a really great step” for his compatriot.

Van der Vaart said: “Whether he’ll ever reach that level (Van Dijk and Ake) remains to be seen.

READ: Liverpool star ‘announces’ decision to leave as Tottenham ‘lead race’ to sign him with £60m ‘offer’

“But it’s certainly a very logical move. Spurs have had a disastrous season, finishing below Brighton, but Spurs are a much bigger club than Brighton.

“So that would be a really great step in that lad’s development, to be able to train there under Roberto De Zerbi. I think he should definitely go for it.”

On the transfer, Van der Vaart added: “It could well turn into a very long-drawn-out process. I think that’s a great deal to ask for a player like Jan Paul van Hecke.”

Spurs reject two bids for Luka Vuskovic – Romano

Tottenham have also been receiving offers for their own centre-back from Brighton with Fabrizio Romano revealing that two bids for Luka Vuskovic have been turned down.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Tottenham [have] rejected two bids from Brighton for Luka Vuskovic. Tottenham already said no to 35million euros (£30m). My understanding is that the player would consider this opportunity [if a deal could be agreed].

“Luka Vuskovic has several opportunities, several proposals, not only from Brighton but the player could be option to this option, to join Brighton, eventually, if Tottenham decide to proceed [with a deal].

“But my understanding, again, is that, at the moment, there is no agreement club-to-club. Tottenham have already rejected two proposals for Vuskovic, again the last one was 35million euros and now we have to see if they can be able to convince the club (Spurs) and to find an agreement.”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘ahead of’ Liverpool in the race to sign an alternative to Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke.

Tottenham are currently focused on improving their defence, having already signed Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers from Liverpool and AFC Bournemouth.

After landing these two players, the north London outfit have turned their attention to Brighton standout Van Hecke, who worked with head coach Roberto De Zerbi on the south coast.

Van Hecke is proven to be a very good Premier League centre-back, but he is in the final year of his current Brighton contract and they are trying to get their rivals to pay over the odds to secure his services.

Spurs have already failed with two bids for Van Hecke, and a report on Friday claimed they intend to return with an improved offer worth £55m.

READ: Liverpool star ‘announces’ decision to leave as Tottenham ‘lead race’ to sign him with £60m ‘offer’

This is surely towards the top end of what Spurs are willing to offer for Van Hecke, and another report this week claimed they will turn to Ordonez as an ‘alternate option’ if their move for the Brighton star ‘collapses’.

Now, a report from journalist Mark Brus for Caught Offside claims Tottenham are ‘ahead of’ Liverpool in the race to sign Joel Ordonez from Club Brugge for a ‘bargain’ fee worth around £39m.

The report claims:

‘My sources tell me that Liverpool, having previously cooled their interest, are seriously considering Ordonez again. There’s the feeling, though, that Tottenham are currently leading the race for his signature as they look for defensive signings.

‘Spurs have made Jan Paul van Hecke a priority, but with Brighton playing hardball over his transfer fee, they are ready to explore alternative targets.’

Jan Paul van Hecke comments on transfer speculation

Van Hecke is part of the Netherlands squad for the World Cup and will want to focus on the tournament, but he has not exactly closed the door on a transfer when asked about his future this week.

“Well, first of all, I just want to focus on the Dutch national team on Sunday,” Van Hecke said.

“That is a very important match for us, for me. So that’s my focus until now. Of course, things are also playing, and I know that myself too. But that’s not for now, that’s more after the World Cup. I will then see where I play.

“I have also said very clearly that I would like to have clarity for myself before the World Cup. And uh I have that too. But then for now for myself it’s just clear. I just want to play the World Cup as well as possible.”

He added: “That clarity will probably come after the World Cup when uh when I make that step, then it’s clear to everyone.”

According to reports, Liverpool star Cody Gakpo has informed the club that he wants to leave and Tottenham Hotspur are ‘leading’ the race to sign him.

The 27-year-old initially proved his worth following his move to Liverpool, but he was one of their poorer performers during the 2025/26 campaign.

Gakpo‘s disappointing form and Mohamed Salah’s exit mean it is Liverpool’s priority to sign at least one new winger this summer, and it now appears as if the Dutchman could also leave in this transfer window.

Earlier this month, a report claimed Gakpo has handed in a ‘transfer request’ to Liverpool becuase he ‘doesn’t see a future without Arne Slot’ after he was one of his compatriot’s most-used players in his two seasons as head coach.

Now, a report from Dutch outlet SoccerNews claims Gakpo has ‘made clear his desire to leave Liverpool’ during a recent meeting.

READ: Liverpool ‘leapfrog’ Man Utd for potential record transfer after FSG ‘take most decisive action’

Cody Gakpo reaches decision on leaving as Tottenham ‘lead race’ to sign him

The report claims:

‘The new manager at Liverpool is Andoni Iraola. The Basque master tactician comes over from Bournemouth. This may well change things for Gakpo. The Dutch international has himself announced to his club that he is open to a summer transfer, sources recently told SoccerNews.’

A report from Caught Offside, meanwhile, suggests Tottenham are ‘leading the race’ to sign Gakpo ahead of Newcastle United and Bayern Munich.

Spurs have been very active in the transfer market at the start of this window, and they have already signed Andy Robertson on a free transfer from Liverpool.

Ex-AFC Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi is their second addition, while they are ready to make a £55m bid for Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke and face losing Luka Vuskovic.

And Gakpo could be another signing, with Tottenham ‘preparing to offer’ 70 million euros (£60m) to secure his services.

The report explains:

‘Gakpo’s Liverpool future is understood to be in some doubt this summer after a dip in form, but the Netherlands international still has admirers in the Premier League and Europe.

‘Our understanding as of this morning is that Spurs are leading the race for Gakpo’s signature, and have internally put plans in place to offer a package worth around €70m for the 27-year-old.’

Regarding incomings, Liverpool have been tipped to sign two Bournemouth players following the appointment of Iraola as Slot’s replacement.

Jose Mourinho has made a habit of signing Portuguese players throughout his career and is about to repeat the trick by taking Bernardo Silva to Real Madrid.

Often picking players from the pool represented by his own agents, Mourinho has linked up with several of his countrymen in different territories.

It all began with a big focus on Portuguese talent at the start of his Chelsea reign and his commitment to compatriots remains unwavering.

Here’s our ranking of Mourinho’s compatriots that he’s signed for non-Portuguese clubs.

More like ‘Who?’-no Morais.

Guys?

Signed from Portuguese second-tier side Penafiel in the same summer Mourinho was appointed by Chelsea in 2004, the defensive midfielder only made four Premier League appearances.

He ultimately sailed off to spend more than a decade in Cyprus with APOEL. Fair play.

A total waste of time for everyone involved.

Most 21 year olds about to join a club on loan with an option to buy worth more than £40m must be decent; Spurs never bothered to find out when it came to Fernandes.

The midfielder seriously struggled for gametime during his year on loan with Spurs, never starting a Premier League game.

“All young players want to work with Jose Mourinho because he’s one of the best – all of us as players want to stay near the best, so it’s fantastic to work with him,” Fernandes said upon joining.

Mourinho had respect for Fernandes – “I will never be the one to push him or say that I don’t want him here,” he insisted a couple of months before the 18-month loan was terminated – but just not enough room in his plans for him.

He was the only Portuguese signing Mourinho made during his time with Spurs, with an attempt for a better Fernandes – Bruno – falling short.

To be fair to Sanches, he managed to rebuild his career from being a Swansea City flop to a somewhat respectable midfielder again in France.

But he took a massive step backwards after he joined Roma on loan from PSG in the summer of 2023.

The midfielder scored on his first Serie A start for the club, but it was also his only Serie A start. And it only lasted 45 minutes.

Sanches’ spell with Roma was characterised by seven different injuries within the space of a year. Mourinho didn’t last the course of the season and needless to say, Roma didn’t buy Sanches permanently after he’d gone.

A maverick on his day but it rarely was his day during his Inter spell.

Quaresma cost Inter more than €18m to sign in 2008 and he had a bright start with a debut Serie A trivela goal.

But he never scored for Inter again and Mourinho bemoaned his lack of work for the team.

Just four months after his arrival, Quaresma was binned off on loan to Chelsea and later named the worst player of the season in Serie A.

Great for Mourinho at Porto. Not so much at Chelsea.

A steady if unspectacular member of the Roma squad that Mourinho led to Europa Conference League glory.

Oliveira joined midway through his first season there on loan from Porto and just about met expectations in midfield, but not enough to earn a permanent move as Mourinho instead proceeded to do what he does best: sign Nemanja Matic.

Has by all accounts done fairly well since leaving Wolves for Fenerbahce – where he was Mourinho’s only Portuguese signing – in 2025.

They didn’t work together for long, though. Mourinho was sacked less than a month after the right-back’s arrival.

After thinking it was a good idea to replace Alisson with, erm, future Aston Villa benchwarmer Robin Olsen, and then being let down by one-time Spurs loanee Pau Lopez as his successor, Roma knew they needed a new keeper to appease their new boss Mourinho in 2021.

He turned to his Gestifute stablemate Patricio to fill the void and it cost Roma less than £10m to buy him from Wolves.

It did the trick at first, with Patricio ever-present in his first Serie A season and playing a key part in Roma’s Europa Conference League triumph.

But his form dropped off massively over the next couple of years and he lost his starting place just after Mourinho was sacked in January 2024.

Eight years is a long time in football but that’s how long Dalot has been on Man Utd’s books now.

One of those campaigns was spent on loan at AC Milan but the full-back has been a United first-team regular for the past five seasons.

Is he great? No. But has it been a respectable enough spell? Yeah, we’ll give him that.

His form has been up and down over the years and we never saw his best while he was playing under Mourinho, but almost 250 appearances from a player who cost £19m is a decent return.

Might there be another Mourinho reunion on the cards?

Mourinho will be hoping his next Portuguese signing for Real Madrid is as good, if not better, than the last.

Coentrao arrived from Benfica in 2011 in a part-exchange deal with Ezequiel Garay, brought in to add competition for Marcelo at left-back.

He never quite dislodged Marcelo but was a worthy understudy who in a parallel universe would have been a capable starter himself.

Coentrao made 106 appearances for Madrid, winning La Liga at the first time of asking as part of Mourinho’s record-breaking side.

After playing for Mourinho at Porto and Chelsea, Carvalho linked up with the Special One again after his appointment in Madrid in 2010.

Carvalho enjoyed a strong debut season, making 48 appearances, but featured less heavily over the next two.

There had been some scepticism at the time of his move – when he was in his 30s – but Carvalho held up his standards at first.

“I can understand why some criticised the move. I was 32 and I’d been at Chelsea a long time,” he reflected towards the end of his debut season. “I had a physical problem, which started because I was not given time to recover fully. I was out for longer than is normal for a muscular problem. There was pressure, I wanted to play and I got injured again. It was not properly healed and I had a relapse.

“But I was convinced I’d succeed. I knew I’d play well here. It’s a different game and I wanted to prove I was in shape physically and mentally.”

Part of the Chelsea squad for Mourinho’s debut season after joining from Benfica, Tiago went on to play more than 50 times.

Despite his importance, Chelsea let him go after a single year, selling him to Lyon to grant his wishes of playing more ahead of the 2006 World Cup.

“He is a wonderful boy and was a very good player for us. We will miss him – the player and the person,” Mourinho said at the time.

Years later, after settling at Atletico Madrid, Tiago revealed Mourinho tried to sign him again for his second Chelsea spell.

One of the more reliable players of Mourinho’s first Chelsea side, Ferreira followed him from Porto in 2004.

Becoming an important player, the right-back helped Chelsea win the Premier League title in his and Mourinho’s debut season.

Ferreira eventually made more than 200 appearances for Chelsea, where he stayed until retiring in the same summer that Mourinho returned for his second spell with the club.

At his best, Mourinho declared Ferreira as the world’s finest right-back.

But it’s another of Mourinho’s all-time favourites – that familiar face of Carvalho – who comes out on top.

Also making the move from Porto to Chelsea in 2004, the centre-back was a consistent player at Stamford Bridge for six years before his second Mourinho reunion in Madrid.

They had their flash-points while working together at Chelsea, but clearly retained a mutual respect.

Carvalho’s final appearance tally for Chelsea was 210 and, like Ferreira, he became a three-time Premier League champion.

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘set to make a £55m offer’ for Jan Paul van Hecke after making a U-turn on Luka Vuskovic.

The north London side have done the most transfer business of any Premier League club at the start of this summer.

They have already signed Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on a free transfers, and they want to strengthen their defence further with the addition of Van Hecke.

Van Hecke, who is in the final year of his contract at Brighton, has emerged as a leading target for Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi, who worked with the centre-back at the Seagulls.

Tottenham have already had two bids rejected for Van Hecke, but you have to feel that they will eventually finalise a deal with Brighton.

READ: Diomande for Salah next: Ranking the last 10 replacements for Premier League legends

However, Spurs will ultimately have to overpay for Van Hecke, while Brighton are working to pull off the major coup of signing Vuskovic from the north London outfit.

The 19-year-old is coming off a breakout loan spell at Bundesliga side Hamburg, and he has been attracting interest from clubs around Europe in recent months.

Initially, it was reported that Spurs would push to keep Vuskovic ahead of next season, but our colleagues at TEAMtalk are now reporting that they have made a ‘U-turn’ and could now ‘sanction’ his exit after he ‘informed’ them of his desire to join Brighton.

Vuskovic reaches ‘full verbal agreement’ as Spurs set to make ‘third offer’ for Van Hecke

Brighton have lined up Vuskovic as a replacement for Van Hecke with a £30m bid, and the Spurs youngster reportedly feels that he can develop better at their Premier League rivals.

The report adds:

‘Brighton continue to value Van Hecke at more than £65million, while their £30million offer for Vuskovic has opened the door to a potential compromise between the clubs.

‘We can also confirm that Vuskovic’s representatives have floated the possibility of including a buy-back clause in any agreement.’

And German journalist Florian Plettenberg has added that Brighton and Vuskovic have a ‘full verbal agreement’ over personal terms.

Plettenberg said on X: ‘BREAKING | Understand Luka Vuskovic has already reached a full verbal agreement with Brighton following very positive talks with Fabian Hürzeler and the club’s hierarchy.

‘Several other clubs have already been turned down. Brighton have submitted a €35m offer to Tottenham post @David_Ornstein.

‘The deal remains complicated, but Brighton are pushing hard and continue to fight for the transfer. Other clubs are also planning to enter the race.’

Regarding Van Hecke, Football Insider are reporting that Spurs are ‘set to make a third offer’ for the Brighton star, though it will still fall shy of his reported £65m valuation.

The report claims:

‘Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a third offer worth £55million to sign Brighton star Jan Paul van Hecke after seeing two bids rejected.

‘Spurs have already seen offers worth £40million and £50million rebuffed by the Seagulls, but are growing increasingly confident they will get a deal over the line.’