Sport Witness

Tottenham will be made to wait until the summer to sign Leon Goretzka, if they’re successful in their attempts to get him.

That’s at least if the latest from BILD, and Christoph Freund, is anything to go by. The Bayern sporting director has spoken about the 30-year-old today.

Goretzka announced on Instagram earlier today that he will be leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season. His contract expires at that point, and he’s decided to depart rather than extend his eight-year stay.

He had already been heavily linked with a move away from the German giants for months. Indeed, BILD report that a deal with Atlético Madrid was well advanced.

Tottenham had also been making moves behind the scenes. A report on the 27th indicated they’d entered the battle for his signature.

Tottenham have a reasonable chance of success

That story developed from there. Two days later there was more on the matter, before Goretzka even hinted he’d be open to the move. That, though, is now on pause. Freund insists the midfielder is staying until the end of the season, despite his announcement today.

“Leon has decided to stay with FC Bayern Munich,” he said about the midfielder today.

“We can now also say: Leon Goretzka’s time at FC Bayern will be over in the summer. He will be taking a different path.

“Leon (who joined from Schalke in the summer of 2018; ed.) will have been with FC Bayern Munich for eight years. Extremely successful, extremely strong in the way he has presented himself here as a person and as a player.

“But it’s not over. He will fight with the team in the coming months so that we can achieve great things. And he feels that too. Therefore, I think we’ve had very, very good discussions and want to be completely open about it and communicate openly.”

Let battle commence, with Tottenham one of the most attractive options linked.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has several fit options in attack including Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani.

Tel initially arrived at Tottenham on loan from Bayern Munich in February 2025. Spurs made his stay permanent last summer and he has struggled for regular minutes. Tel and his agent have been trying to push for a move.

Meanwhile, Juventus want Kolo Muani, who is on loan at Spurs from Paris Saint-Germain. Frank wants to block the French duo’s exits in this window.

In addition to this, there’s possibility of Tottenham adding a new attacker to the squad before Monday’s deadline. That’s at least what journalist Gianluigi Longari is reporting and he provides more in his column for Sportitalia.

He now claims the north London club are looking at Al-Ittihad’s Moussa Diaby. Inter Milan have been chasing the winger, who joined the Saudi club from Aston Villa in July 2024.

Nerazzurri president Giuseppe Marotta confirmed their interest in the 26-year-old before their Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund this week.

Tottenham primed to barge in and disrupt everything

The Italian club have already made an offer to sign Diaby on loan with an option to buy. This didn’t immediately convince the Middle East club.

Inter are facing the risk of Spurs hijacking this operation. Longari claims the Premier League side are ‘ready to enter the fray’ to sign the former Villans man.

The San Siro club will have to revise their offer and insert a purchase obligation instead of an option as part of the loan offer. The journalist claims this is a ‘necessary condition to fend off’ Tottenham.

There’s a possibility that Diaby’s camp may have dragged Spurs into the mix as a tactic to put pressure on Inter.

Diaby has managed three goals and 11 assists from 25 matches for Al-Ittihad this season.

Tottenham Hotspur remain attentive to Leon Goretzka’s situation, and the Bayern Munich midfielder has now spoken clearly about his future. In an interview with Die Zeit, Goretzka admitted he is open to leaving Germany and testing himself in another league.

“Changing leagues is an option, of course,” Goretzka said. “I find it exciting to go abroad at some point in my career. I have already thought about it twice in the past and consciously decided not to do it until now.”

The 30-year-old accepted that he feels settled in Munich, but also questioned whether staying would limit his development. “I know that I am in a comfort zone in Munich,” he explained. “Taking a step abroad would be an important step for my personal growth.”

Goretzka also made it clear that the attraction goes beyond football. “Living something new would enrich my life,” he added, framing a possible move as a broader life decision rather than a purely sporting one.

His comments arrive with his contract at Bayern Munich entering its final months. That situation continues to draw attention from across Europe. AC Milan and Atletico Madrid remain alert, while Tottenham have also been linked as a possibility.

Sounds like positive news for Tottenham

From Tottenham’s perspective, nothing has changed on the negotiation front. However, the player’s words help clarify his mindset. Goretzka is no longer ruling out a move abroad, nor a departure from Bayern before his contract expires.

For now, no decision has been made. Both January and the summer window remain possible scenarios, with Tottenham and other interested clubs continuing to monitor his next steps.

Radu Drăgușin’s agent, Florin Manea, has admitted the Tottenham Hotspur defender is ‘amazed’ by the late January interest in him.

Digi Sport have an interview with the Romanian agent today. He discusses the late moves being made for his client, and tells club they know where he is.

Drăgușin has been heavily linked with a move away from Tottenham this month. He’s recently returned from a long-term knee injury and wants to be playing regularly.

That seems unlikely to happen under Thomas Frank. The Dane has stuck with Cristian Romero and Micky van Ven as his defensive due and doesn’t appear keen to break that up.

A return to Italy appears to be the most likely option. Drăgușin previously played there with Juventus before impressing at Genoa. AC Milan are currently at the front of the queue, and a report last week stated Tottenham were potentially about to give in to let Drăgușin depart.

Reports have also linked AS Roma and Fiorentina with potential moves before Monday’s transfer deadline. In fact, reports in Italy have stated that Manea has been meeting with Milan’s sporting director Igli Tare.

Manea now denies this, even though he will admit he’s known those in charge at the San Siro for a while. He’s heading to Italy soon, albeit not on Tottenham transfer business. He’s open to talks if anyone wants them, though.

Tottenham player’s agent is off to Italy

“Nobody spoke to me. I’ve known Igli Tare for a long time, but I haven’t spoken to him,” he said.

“I’m going to Italy; I have some work there. If there’s interest in Radu and someone wants to contact me, they know where to find me. I’ll be in Italy tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, but not for Radu.

“I also followed with bated breath what was happening with the transfer, they all knew better than me. I had seen something that Tottenham had lowered the price, but I didn’t know anything. All that came out was speculation.

“Of course, Radu also finds out about this information, but I told him that I’d let him know if anything comes up. It’s wonderful how much there is speculation. There’s nothing to destabilise him”

Tottenham Hotspur completed the signing of Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid earlier this month.

His transfer has seen Diego Simeone’s side look for a new midfielder in the winter market. The La Liga side have their eyes set on Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka, however, Tottenham are also pursuing him.

Earlier this week, we covered claims from Italy that Tottenham are in the picture to sign Goretzka. Thomas Frank’s side see him as an option to further improve their midfield.

Calciomercato journalist Daniele Longo now picked up on that and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share more updates on Spurs.

The Germany international has less than six months left on his contract. Tottenham, Los Rojiblancos and AC Milan are all keen on securing the player.

According to Longo, the Spanish club are pushing hard and are ready to make an offer to Bayern Munich. Their intention is to sign the 30-year-old before the window closes on Monday.

Atlético have to be wary of the competition from the Premier League side. The journalist claims Tottenham are in contact with Roof, the agency that manage the Bayern Munich player.

AC Milan have also made an approach but are mainly looking to sign him for free in the summer. With Atlético and Tottenham keen, Longo states these are ‘important hours’ for Goretzka’s future.

The Bavarian club secured a 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday. After the match, Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl was asked about Goretzka’s situation and Sky Deutschland have relayed his comments.

When asked whether Goretzka could stay until the end of this season, he said: “So far, yes.”

Sky then state: ‘The sporting director called Goretzka’s considerations for a move abroad “legitimate” because his contract expires in the summer.’

Eberl then explained: “No decisions have been made yet.”

Tottenham appear to have transfer advantage

On Goretzka, Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany added: “I know that I have to get up early tomorrow and then have a conversation with Max or Christoph at some point – that we need to discuss the squad.”

Meanwhile, El Desmarque’s Rubén Uría reports Atlético can’t afford to buy the Bayern Munich player in this window.

“Atlético want to sign Goretzka; Mateu Alemany has spoken with him. He won’t leave Bayern this winter because the German club is asking for a sum that Atlético neither wants to pay nor can afford his salary. That’s the information I have: Goretzka is going to stay at Bayern,” he said.

This should give Spurs a clear advantage to sign the German before Monday’s deadline.

Yesterday we covered reports Galatasaray are again looking to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma.

Vice president Abdullah Kavukcu has flown to the UK to hold transfer talks for the Tottenham midfielder. He’s been accompanied by Italian agent George Gardi, as they look to broker a deal for the 28-year-old.

The Mali international was linked with move to the Super Lig side during the summer. At the time we covered reports an offer had been tabled by Galatasaray, but a transfer never materialised.

Gala wanted a loan deal, with a purchase option. Bissouma was also proposed a salary of €3m a season after tax.

Aspor report on the latest developments regarding Galatasaray’s pursuit for Bissouma and he’s now their prime target.

The Super Lig champions are desperate to sign a defensive midfielder before next week’s deadline, with a number of targets. Turkey’s window closes on February 6th.

Earlier in the transfer window, Manchester United’s Manuel Ugarte was number one target. However, with the recent changes at Old Trafford, the Uruguay international will remain with the Premier League side.

Transfer talks for Tottenham midfielder

Subsequently, Cimbom are now putting their efforts into signing Bissouma. Aspor claim negotiations are ongoing between the Istanbul giants and the player’s agent.

At this stage there are no reports what they are prepared to offer.

However, it’s unlikely Thomas Frank will want to lose this the Malian in this window. Spurs are currently struggling with injuries, with a number of players missing for tonight’s Champions League tie in Frankfurt.

Bissouma has been ruled out for most of the campaign with a knee injury, but has been involved in Spurs’ last two Premier League games.

If Galatasaray fail to convince Tottenham then they will turn to other Premier League options.

On Tuesday, claims from Italy covered Juventus’ desire to sign Tottenham Hotspur’s Randal Kolo Muani in the winter market.

He joined the Premier League side on loan from Paris Saint-Germain last summer. Prior to that, the striker had a six-month temporary spell with Juve, managing 10 goals and three assists.

The Serie A side failed to agree fresh terms with PSG to retain Kolo Muani, allowing Spurs to sign him.

He hasn’t enjoyed a good run under Thomas Frank at the north London club. To put it in context, the France international has scored two goals and contributed three assists from 23 matches.

Juventus are thinking about signing the 27-year-old in the winter market and Gianluca Di Marzio covers the latest.

The Old Lady are working on bringing the Tottenham player back to Italy before Monday’s deadline. According to Di Marzio, contact to try and sign the player is ongoing.

The Premier League side will need to give their approval to cut short his loan stay. If that happens, Juve will then have to find an agreement with the Champions League winners.

TuttoMercatoWeb also provide an important update on the Turin club’s ongoing pursuit of Kolo Muani.

Juve want to provide Luciano Spalletti a new striker for the second half of the season and the Frenchman is back on their list.

He could feature against his former club, Eintracht Frankfurt, when Tottenham face them in Germany later today. The attacker’s focus may be elsewhere as he’s thinking of leaving Spurs in the coming days.

Juve are seriously considering bringing their former player back to the club. TWM explain Wednesday could be ‘decisive’ for them to sign Kolo Muani.

A ‘three-way meeting’ is scheduled between Spurs, Juventus and PSG. According to the report, this is most likely to be the ‘final meeting’ to determine whether the Turin club can sign him again.

Kolo Muani seeks for a new challenge away from Frank’s side. There will be more updates after today’s decisive meeting.

Leon Goretzka has had a mix in prominence for Bayern Munich since first joining in 2018. Tottenham are now looking at the possibility of bringing him to England in the summer.

The German’s contract in Bavaria runs out in 2026. Considering his stature as a footballer, Goretzka will expect to attract multiple suitors ahead of the summer.

Calciomercato’s Daniele Longo reports about on 30-year-old, who has played 18 Bundesliga games this season.

The report claims that Tottenham have moved first for the midfielder. Spurs see Goretzka as one way to revamp their midfield next season, and add experience to the squad.

A transfer is unlikely to be easy for the London club, as Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are also interested. It doesn’t end there, as Longo prominently writes about AC Milan’s initial approach.

The Italian giants have made contact with Goretzka’s entourage, having done the same some weeks ago. Rossoneri sporting director Igli Tare is a big admirer of the Germany international. He is looking to replicate the Luka Modric move from last summer and sign Goretzka for free.

Understandable interest in midfielder, and Tottenham competition

Manchester United were linked in 2021, and West Ham in 2023, however, there’s not been much Premier League action for Leon Goretzka.

The midfielder would be interested in a move to the San Siro and this was communicated during recent contact. For Max Allegri’s side, this is the first attempt to possibly bring him to Italy in the summer.

Competition for Tottenham and Milan is likely to be ‘ruthless’ as Barcelona and Atletico have enquired as well.

This is perhaps an attempt from Goretzka’s entourage to possibly sound out multiple clubs. It will help the player find the best possible destination when he finally departs Bayern in the summer.

Frank Arnesen has given his backing to his compatriot Thomas Frank, being question on the situation due to his past as Tottenham Hotspur’s sporting director.

The manager has come in for scrutiny given Tottenham’s poor domestic form, leading to questions over his future with the Premier League club.

Speaking to Ekstra Bladet, Arnesen was asked about if he believes Frank’s future with Tottenham could be coming to an end.

Arnesen wanted to encourage patience, explaining there’s likely other factors such as the board giving him support or injuries to key players.

He went on to say there needs to be patience at the club after only appointing Frank during the summer.

When asked if the Tottenham manager will see out the season, Arnesen said: “I can only say that I hope so. I admire him. But he has to win the games. That’s how it is, and he knows it.”

“It’s a tough world, but that’s what they’re paid for. From there, it’s up to the management. It’s about how the top of the club is. Are they ice-cold? Can they see if he’s still in control of the changing room? Are the players slowly getting better? It could also be that there are four or five injured players and therefore lose all the games.

“Of course, management does not bother to listen to this, but it is just to say that there can be many things in play. That’s why I always say: Make sure you have patience,” explained the Dane.

Situation builds due to Tottenham’s poor domestic form

Tottenham currently lie 14th in the Premier League table, following a run of five games without a victory. During that period the North London club have picked up just three points.

Subsequently, there has been speculation the Danish coach could be replaced, but the former Brentford boss has delivered results in the Champions League.

Following their victory over PSV last week, Spurs are in a strong position to make the knockout stages of the competition. Tottenham travel to Frankfurt on Wednesday night knowing a victory will secure one of the automatic qualify spots.

On Monday, Tuttomercatoweb reported AC Milan have come forward for Tottenham’s Radu Dragusin.

Milan made initial contact with the London club, who had earlier responded to AS Roma’s advances with a demand for a permanent transfer or at least a guarantee of one in the summer. TMW stated Spurs’ stance could soften, with Tottenham moving towards an initial loan with the conditional obligation to buy.

The Rossoneri, in the meantime, were considering a loan with an option, with Roma possibly fading as an option for the defender.

The centre-back’s situation finds prominent mention in today’s Corriere dello Sport.

Despite having mainly reported on Roma and Dragusin, the newspaper moves to Milan pushing for the Tottenham player.

Milan are now exploring the possibility of signing the Romanian. There is belief he could play effectively in Max Allegri’s back three system and won’t cost too much.

Sporting director Igli Tare intends to offer Tottenham an initial loan with an option to buy. This is to delay the payment of the permanent fee until a time Milan have more guarantees about a spot in the Champions League.

There is belief that Spurs’ stance over Dragusin’s situation hasn’t changed at all.

Tottenham want an obligation to buy in the loan or a permanent deal. For Milan, there is another issue… assurances about the Romania international’s fitness.

Tottenham player would face prolonged medical

Dragusin returned to full fitness after a serious ACL injury some weeks ago. Allegri wants a player who can make an immediate impact and there is doubt whether Dragusin can do that.

Therefore, even if Spurs were to agree to how Milan want a transfer structured this week, that wouldn’t be that. Milan have a prolonged medical planned for the defender, as they seek to assure themselves over his fitness.

That’s even on the basis of an initial loan, such is their desire for a plug and play option.