Sport Witness

Aston Villa and Tottenham have made initial moves for Youssouf Fofana, who is now attracting attention from Everton.

The Frenchman was one of AC Milan’s better players last season. It was a campaign mired in instability but Fofana showed his ability to carry the ball forward.

There was hope he would grow into a better player this season but that hasn’t quite happened. Instead, Fofana has attracted criticism largely for not being the most defensive minded player in midfield.

Sport Witness have covered Milan’s attempts to sell him in the summer. This attracted interest from Aston Villa and Tottenham, who made initial contact for the France international.

Now, Everton are also in the mix to land him.

Everton handed transfer chance

Daniele Longo looks at possible exits from Milan and Fofana is a major candidate to depart.

Allegri, despite seeing the ex-Monaco man struggle, would ideally want to keep him. But he wouldn’t stand against an exit either.

Over €25m si considered acceptable for a permanent deal. Everton would face competition from Galatasaray, Lyon and Marseille, with the valuation for the player clear.

It has been previously mentioned that Fofana wouldn’t be keen on a move to Turkey. He sees England as the best destination and agents are at work to find a new club.

Our take: Bargain deal can prove important

Fofana’s weaknesses as a player have been rather exposed this season. Allegri’s setup relies more on players covering ground, sitting in shape and then breaking on the counter attack. That isn’t Fofana’s strength, who needs the ball at his feet to make an impact.

That is why he needs a change of scenery, desperately. For Everton, €25m can actually be a bargain.

The 27-year-old has played for the national team many times and can start for a lot of European clubs right now. If the opportunity lingers, the Toffees should try to execute a deal especially before the World Cup comes around.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Manor Solomon moved to Fiorentina on loan after a short-spell at Villarreal. There is now a chance of him returning to London in the summer.

The Israeli winger offered promise early on in Florence. He scored two games in a row, finding the net against Napoli and Torino, playing a role in their fight against relegation.

At one point, there was hope he was set to join Fiorentina permanently. Sport Witness extensively covered this, as La Viola were seeking a discount to keep him beyond this season.

Soon, he picked up a thigh injury that ruled him out for a month. Since then, he hasn’t looked the same and has started only once in Serie A.

Permanent deal unlikely

Corriere Fiorentino report Fiorentina are likely to move on from Solomon at the end of the season.

They have an option to buy the winger for €10m and they also have the option to buy Jack Harrison for €7m.

There are growing concerns about the Tottenham winger’s fitness and whether the €10m, or even close to it, is worth it. Fiorentina know that his time in Florence has been better than the spell at Villarreal but they haven’t seen enough to pay €10m.

This is unlikely to be a bargaining position from Fiorentina. That said, Solomon has a contract lasting until 2028, so don’t rule out La Viola asking Tottenham for another loan.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario now has a complete agreement in place with Inter Milan ahead of the summer.

Il Messaggero report that Inter Milan are thinking about life beyond current number one Yann Sommer. His contract expires in June. The plan is for him to bid farewell to the Nerazzurri.

Tottenham goalkeeper in their sights

Inter have long had their eye on Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario as a replacement. The goalkeeper wants to return to Italy this summer.

His entourage are already working to make that happen. And they have not reached a full agreement with Inter on his contract. That’s on the terms of his contract and the figures involved.

However, several details remain to be finalised before a transfer can be done. First, Inter Milan must reach an agreement with Tottenham.

They’re not pushing into that part just yet as they wait to see Tottenham’s fate. Relegation from the Premier League could make the 29-year-old cheaper this summer.

Inter with issues to resolve

Inter Milan also need to resolve the situation with their goalkeeper Josep Martinez. He has performed well in recent weeks, but it remains to be seen if he remains at the club.

If he were to leave, that would push Inter to further push forward their efforts for Guglielmo Vicario. So, Inter need to work out what’s happening on that front.

But the first major hurdle towards the Tottenham goalkeeper has already been cleared. With contract terms agreed with his entourage, the path is clearer than it was previously.

Both parties can now set to work on negotiating with Tottenham. But it seems they will be held off until Spurs’ Premier League future is determined. Inter would not want to pass up the opportunity of getting themselves a bargain by moving for the Italian goalkeeper too early.

Tottenham Hotspur are keeping a close watch on Luka Vušković’s situation at Hamburg SV.

The Croatia international has been on loan the Bundesliga side since last summer and done remarkably well.

However, he’s made only one appearance since the last international break, against FC Augsburg on April 4th. The Tottenham man suffered an injury in training and is yet to return to the pitch.

The timeline of the media coverage of his injury is as follows:

On April 15th, Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin confirmed ‘intensive treatment’ for the defender.

Five days later, Sport Witness covered claims from Germany of a severe damage to his knee.

Last Wednesday, Hamburg sporting director Claus Costa said there’s optimism he’ll play again this season.

On Monday, Vušković underwent more tests to find out the latest situation on his injury.

Two days later, we relayed news that Spurs doctors need to give the green light for his return to training.

On Thursday, the Croatian media reported he should join training from yesterday as he ‘just finished his recovery’.

Tottenham man’s return boost

Hamburger Abendblatt back up the Croatian claim of Luka Vušković returning to training.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side have the final say on when he can train and return to the pitch.

The north London club’s doctors have given the Croatian permission to train again with Hamburg SV. On Thursday, the Tottenham Hotspur owned player completed full training with rest of his teammates.

Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin confirmed Spurs medical staff are in constant contact with their German counterparts and made a decision to let him return to training.

When asked about it, he said: “The fact that he’s back in training suggests everyone’s on the same page.”

The German club lost all three matches in the young defender’s absence, conceding nine goals. Therefore, his return is a massive boost.

However, it’s unclear whether Tottenham gave the green light for the Croatian to play a match.

“Luka is pain-free, but he was out for quite a while. We don’t want to make any risky decisions, but rather find a smart solution,” Polzin explained.

Luka Vušković is important in both defence and attack. His return is crucial for HSV’s survival in the Bundesliga.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the clubs keen on signing AFC Bournemouth star Marcos Senesi.

The Argentina international’s contract runs untils June, and his future is set to be away from Bournemouth.

On April 9th, Sport Witness covered claims from Italy that Tottenham and Aston Villa are preparing to make offers.

Later that month, we relayed news of the Premier League duo’s strong push to sign the Bournemouth player.

Earlier this week, the centre-back made it clear that he hasn’t agreed a deal with another club yet. He also left the door open to joining another Premier League or moving to a different league.

“I don’t have a league preference. Obviously, I like playing in the Premier League; I enjoy the competition, but I’m not ruling out playing in another league either. I told my agent to let me know when there’s something very clear and concrete,” he said.

Tottenham already made advances

Journalist Mirko Di Natale took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to cover the latest on both Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.

Marcos Senesi’s contract situation has seen the Serie A side make an attempt to try and sign him for free.

Juventus have taken action and also made a contract offer until 2030. The journalist adds the figures, which aren’t specified, are ‘approaching those of Tottenham’.

In other words, Spurs have already made an offer, and the Old Lady are getting closer to it.

It’s now down to the AFC Bournemouth centre-back to decide whether to pick Roberto De Zerbi’s side, Juventus or another club in the summer. He certainly won’t be short of options.

Spurs PL stay key

Marcos Senesi is unlikely to consider a move to Tottenham Hotspur if drop out of the Premier League.

Spurs are now 18th in the table, two points behind 17th placed West Ham United, and have four matches to avoid relegation.

The South American played 3,005 minutes from 35 matches for Bournemouth this season. He may prefer to sort out his future before the start of World Cup on June 11th.

Tottenham Hotspur‘s Radu Drăgușin is one of the likeliest to leave the Premier League club this summer.

Earlier this week, the Romania international’s agent, Florin Manea, said the defender is focusing on saving Tottenham from relegation to the Championship.

He explained no talks had been held with Spurs or any other club and that he’d soon travel to London to meet his client.

The centre-back suffered a serious injury in January 2025 and only returned in December. He’s so far played 581 minutes from 10 matches for the Premier League side.

Drăgușin’s league stats are as follows:

Appearances: 9

Starts: 5

Total minutes played: 529

Minutes per game: 59

Interceptions per game: 1.8

Tackles per game: 0.6

Recoveries per game: 1.6

Clearances per game: 4.8

Blocked shots per game: 0.9

Duels won per game: 2.7

The defender played only a minute since Roberto De Zerbi took charge on March 31st as the manager favoured Kevin Danso ahead of him in Cristian Romero’s absence due to an injury.

RB Leipzig want Tottenham player

Despite Florin Manea’s comments earlier this week, Fanatik now state Radu Drăgușin is ‘closer and closer’ to leaving Spurs in the next window.

Regardless of his limited playing time at the north London club this year, the defender has again attracted interest from RB Leipzig. They are third in the table, five points ahead of fourth placed VfB Stuttgart and are likely to qualify for the Champions League.

The Bundesliga side want the Tottenham Hotspur player and another defender for next season and have set a €40m budget. Leipzig could make an offer to the Premier League side, who want €20m for the former Juventus man.

Fanatik report Manea recently visited Leipzi’sg headquarters, to find out more about the club and to hold talks. The agent watched them in action against Union Berlin and was pleased with what he saw.

Drăgușin has given his consent to the transfer.

Our take: Manea pushing interest

Fanatik appear to have obtained this information from Florin Manea, days after he talked down transfer talks. The details of his trip to Leipzig haven’t been leaked to the German press yet.

Manea is well aware that any big Radu Drăgușin story in Romania will be covered elsewhere. Therefore, the Tottenham player’s suitors in Italy will be alerted to Leipzig trying again.

Tottenham Hotspur‘s Luka Vušković has been on loan at Hamburg SV since last summer and has starred in Germany.

The centre-back has been an integral part of the Bundesliga side’s defence and last made an appearance of April 4th.

He has been on the sidelines with a knee injury since then, generating concern both for Hamburg and Tottenham.

Here’s a timeline of media coverage on the Croatia international’s injury.

On April 15th, Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin confirmed ‘intensive treatment’ for the defender.

Five days later, Sport Witness covered claims from Germany of a severe damage to his knee.

Last Wednesday, Hamburg sporting director Claus Costa said there’s optimism he’ll play again this season.

On Monday, Vušković underwent more tests to find out the latest situation on his injury.

Two days later, we relayed news that Spurs doctors need to give the green light for his return to training.

Updates from Croatia on Tottenham man’s injury

Sportske Novosti are puzzled and seem disappointed with the German media’s coverage of Luka Vušković’s injury.

The outlet state: ‘The German media wrote all sorts of things, it’s hard to say why, there was even mention of a serious knee injury, but that didn’t happen.’

He did have a problem with his knee and took advantage of this break to not only recover from the setback but also refresh himself.

They have found out from their own sources the Tottenham Hotspur owned player is ‘now healthy’ and has ‘just finished his recovery’.

The 19-year-old is focusing on returning to full fitness, after missing out on training and matches in the past few weeks. He was on the pitch on both Tuesday and Wednesday but trained alone.

Vušković should join his teammates in training on Thursday. Hamburg boss Merlin Polzin will have to whether to consider him for the weekend clash Eintracht Frankfurt.

What next for Spurs owned player

Sportske Novosti make no mention of Tottenham Hotspur’s approval for the defender to train or play for Hamburg SV.

If Spurs do have a say and give the green light, Luka Vušković could return this weekend or against SC Freiburg on May 10th.

Meanwhile, Roberto De Zerbi’s side have to make a decision on his future in the summer. It would be away from the Premier League side if they were to drop to the Championship.

Youssouf Fofana hasn’t had a great season at AC Milan but the Frenchman continues to have admirers in Aston Villa and Tottenham.

The midfielder joined the Rossoneri from Monaco for a fee of €25m in 2024. Last season, he seemed worth the money, doing quite well in a campaign which was full of instability for Milan.

Under Max Allegri in the ongoing season, Fofana seems like a shadow of himself.

He’s played 32 times in all competitions, also contributing to six goals but he has faced quite a bit of criticism too. Defensive problems have been the main cause for concern, with the player clearly not fit for the Italian’s system.

Earlier this week, Sport Witness covered claims about West Ham interest in the midfielder. There was a certainty he will depart Milan.

Now, it is Tottenham and Aston Villa who are being pushed.

Offers already on the table

Gazzetta dello Sport report AC Milan will much redesign their midfield next season. They are set to move away from Fofana and are looking for the right offer to sell him in the summer.

There is interest from Galatasaray and Fenerbahce but the France international doesn’t want to move to Turkey.

He appears keen on a move to the Premier League, especially as Aston Villa and Tottenham have already made offers to his entourage. The London club’s move entirely depends on their survival in the Premier League.

The report indicates an agreement with the player is unlikely to be a problem. It will all come down to how much the two clubs end up paying Milan.

As of now, Allegri’s side do not believe Fofana’s value has reduced from when they signed him. As a result, they are expected to demand around €25m.

Our take: Deal likely to be straightforward

Fofana needs to reinvigorate his career and that can only happen at a new club. Allegri, as of now, seems set to stay and the Frenchman is struggling with the defensive demands of his approach.

The right move to England can help Fofana quite a bit. Tottenham are in need of midfield additions who add dynamism to the heart of the park. The ex-Monaco player is likely to play at the World Cup and this can lead to his value escalating further.

That is why Spurs and Aston Villa should move early for the 27-year-old, who will surely be keen. Meeting Milan’s demands will also not be difficult.

Tottenham Hotspur are in control of Luka Vušković’s injury situation at Hamburg SV.

Last summer, Tottenham let the Croatia international join the Bundesliga side on loan.

The move has gone well for the centre-back as he’s established himself at Hamburg and his performances have attracted Europe-wide attention. There’s already been claims of Barcelona and Bayern Munich interest.

Vušković has made only one appearance since returning from the March international break. The 19-year-old picked up an injury in training, forcing him to miss the last three matches for the German club.

The Tottenham owned player underwent intensive treatment as he’s yet to regain fitness.

Last week, Hamburg director Claus Costa explained why the recovery is taking time.

He said: “A knee sprain or contusion causes internal bleeding. This makes it difficult to control the knee precisely and correctly. That’s something that takes time.”

On Monday, Sport Witness relayed news the defender underwent further tests to find out more about his injury situation.

Tottenham want to avoid risks

Hamburger Abendblatt now cover the latest on the Croatia international’s injury and his potential return.

He hasn’t trained for three weeks and initially, there were talks of knee contusion and then about an internal bleeding in his knee.

The newspaper got in touch with Luka Vušković’s camp to get an update on his situation.

A source close to the defender revealed he needs Tottenham Hotspur’s permission to even return to training. Hamburg SV initially denied that.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side want to avoid risk of a serious setback. This would jeopardise a potential big sale after this season or him playing for Spurs.

As things stand, Vušković is unlikely to be fit on time to face Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend. After that, Hamburg have two more matches this season.

Bergedorfer Zeitung report the Spurs man worked with rehabilitation coach Sebastian Capel on Tuesday. The newspaper also relay comments from Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin.

“First of all, this is really good: sunshine, Luka is here. Wonderful. It gives me a good feeling that the pain has subsided,” he said.

Barcelona are already looking at Tottenham Hotspur for potential targets for the summer.

On Tuesday, Sport Witness covered claims from Spain that Barcelona have Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven on their radar. This report surfaced after sporting director, Deco, recently made a trip to London.

Romero suffered an injury in Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on April 12th. He has been on the sidelines since then and will miss the rest of the season.

The Argentina international’s injury situation doesn’t stop Barcelona from showing interest in him.

He has been a regular for the Premier League side when fit. The centre-back played 2,657 minutes from 32 matches and even managed six goals and four assists.

His league stats this season are as follows:

Appearances: 23

Starts: 22

Total minutes: 1,872

Minutes per game: 81

Interceptions per game: 1.3

Tackles per game: 2.5

Recoveries per game:

Clearances per game: 4.1

Duels won per game: 6.7

Tottenham player on front page

The World Cup winner is on the front page of Wednesday’s edition of Sport, with ‘Plan B for Deco’ written in bold.

Barcelona want to sign a new centre-back after this season and Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni is their main target. He’s keen on a move and the Serie A side are open to a sale, provided there’s a €70m offer.

This is too high for Hansi Flick’s side, who have identified Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero as the Italian’s alternative.

The Catalan club feel the 28-year-old ‘fits all the requirements’ they are looking for in a new defender. They also appreciate his experience and leadership qualities.

This, coupled with Inter Milan’s stance with Bastoni, has seen the Spanish giants take action.

Barcelona have already held talks with Romero’s agent to express their interest and also explore the possibility of a summer deal. The newspaper state he wants to move to the Camp Nou.

On April 4th, the defender’s father, Víctor, said Spurs are looking to sell him for $50-70m [€43.4-60.6m]. He’s even likelier to leave if Roberto De Zerbi’s side [now in 18th spot] were to drop to the Championship.

In addition to the South American, Deco also has Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven and Real Sociedad’s 20-year-old defender, Jon Martín, in his target list. However, the latter lacks the experience while the Dutchman is now behind his Spurs teammate.

Romero’s contract, value and agent info

Last August, Cristian Romero signed a new contract until 2029, and Transfermarkt value him at €50m.

Agent Ciro Palermo, who mainly manages Argentine players, represents the Tottenham Hotspur star.