Sport Witness

FC Metz’s Benjamin Stambouli says Paris Saint-Germain’s ambition convinced him to join them from Tottenham Hotspur in 2015.

The midfielder will come up against PSG when Metz host them in the league on Saturday. Ahead of this clash, Le Républicain Lorrain spoke to the 35-year-old.

Le10 Sport have relayed his comments on his decision to leave Tottenham for PSG.

The Frenchman came up through the ranks of Montpellier’s youth system and spent four years with their first team. He left them to join the north London club in 2014.

Mauricio Pochettino was then in charge at the Premier League side. Stambouli played less than 1,500 minutes from 25 matches for Spurs but still managed to attract PSG’s interest. in 2015.

In July 2015, the Ligue 1 winners reportedly paid around £6m to Tottenham to secure the midfielder’s services. Stambouli ha said he an opportunity to continue with the English club. However, he decided to turn his back on Tottenham and join PSG.

Le10 point out PSG had several big stars including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Marco Verratti, and Edinson Cavani at the time. This was one of the reasons he left Tottenham for PSG.

“At that point, I had the choice of staying at Tottenham and other options,” he said.

“But after thinking it over, I went for it. I went to England because I consider it to be the best league in the world. By signing with PSG, I had the opportunity to join a club with the ambition to become number one in the world.”

Stambouli spent one season in Paris before being sold to Schalke in 2016.

Julián Alvarez has expressed his disappointment over Atlético Madrid’s failure to sign Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero last summer.

Friday’s edition of Marca have published a detailed interview with the Argentine striker. The newspaper also asks him about the La Liga side’s interest in the Tottenham star.

In August, the centre-back extended his contract at Tottenham until 2029. Prior to that, there were repeated claims in Spain and Argentina about Atlético’s firm desire to secure his services.

Back in July, the Spanish press explained the Europa League winners rejected Atlético’s approach for the 27-year-old defender. Spurs were determined to retain him and were successful in their efforts.

Alvarez knows the Tottenham man very well as they play together for Argentina. The duo played a key role in their World Cup success in 2022.

Marca points out Atlético’s failure to sign Romero last summer. They then specifically ask the 25-year-old how he experienced this saga and whether he wanted the Spurs defender in Madrid.

“Yes, yes. Obviously, I would have liked to. Cuti is one of the best defenders in the world. I spend time with him for the national team, and I really think he’s a star, a competitive animal, very strong defensively,” he said.

“And yes, I had a few conversations with him, and it didn’t happen for various reasons, but hopefully one day we’ll be able to play together.”

Romero signing an extension at Spurs makes it more complicated for Atlético to sign him in the near future.

Dejan Kulusevski last played a match for Tottenham Hotspur on May 11th. The 25-year-old injured his right patella and there’s been uncertainty about his return date since day one.

After what has obviously been a serious injury, the midfielder and those around him don’t want to rush things. At the beginning of September, Kulusevski spoke to the Swedish media about his recovery process.

The Tottenham gave a rough timeline: “The status is good. The rehab is going well. Every day I wake up with the same hunger and even more hunger with each passing day. The status is very good, and I will be on a football pitch in the very, very near future.

“If everything goes as it should, as it has so far, I am very confident that I will be on the pitch in two to three months.”

That timeframe, from September 6th, would take the Spurs man to early November or December. That’s been and gone and unfortunately an imminent return isn’t on the cards for Kulusevski.

Sweden face Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier on March 26th. Should they be victorious then it’ll be a straight battle against the winners of Poland versus Albania for a place at the tournament.

Graham Potter, who took over the national team in October, has appeared on a Fotbollskanalen podcast. Naturally he asked about Kulusevski and his availability for those matches.

Tottenham player desperate to help

The manager explained how difficult the injury has been: “I met Dejan last week, as I’m aware he’s fighting back from his injury. I had a good conversation with him.

“He really has had a complicated injury. That’s the truth. He’s on his way back and he’s in a good place, but when you’re close you can have setbacks and you can have frustrating days when things don’t go the way you want because it’s a long process. He’s in good spirits and in a good place, and desperate to come back and help.”

Asked straight out if the Tottenham player will be ready for March, Potter replied: “He is desperate to be included.

I’m convinced of that (that Kulusevski will be in March). That’s my feeling based on having spoken to him and understanding where he is. I think that’s the last part of the rehabilitation that he needs to go through.

“My experience when someone has been out for a long time is that it can be a bit up and down and frustrating, but he’s in a good place. I think the problem with football – and looking ahead to March – is that nobody knows for sure where he’s going to be. If you can predict that, you’re a genius. It’s about being patient with him and supporting him. I’m confident he’ll be there.”

Such is Dejan Kulusevski’s importance for Sweden, both on the pitch and as a leader off it, he’ll likely join the play-off group whether fit or not. On multiple occasions since his injury, the Tottenham player has popped up during international breaks to show support.

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 loss to Fulham at the end of November saw annoyance grow among the club’s fanbase. They’d made their feelings clear at several points during the match, and there’s a gap appearing between some of the squad and some of the fans.

Immediately following the loss to Fulham, 19-year-old Lucas Bergvall turned to applaud supporters. This didn’t please Pedro Porro, with the 26-year-old clearly seen to be shouting towards his younger colleague.

Porro was angry with how some Tottenham supporters had behaved during the match, and clearly didn’t feel the crowd were deserving of Bergvall’s applause.

Of course, his actions didn’t receive a positive reaction and Porro’s later non-apology didn’t do much to calm tensions.

Spurs beat Thomas Frank’s former side Brentford 2-0 on Saturday, and therefore the atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was rather better.

Porro started and finished the match and afterwards spoke to Spanish press agency EFE. His comments were much more positive towards fans of the Premier League club.

InfoBae report him as saying: “They’ve been exceptional from the start of the match, celebrating every attack and every chance. That’s what we need because when the team is struggling, we need that support.

“I understand that emotions in football, as I’ve already mentioned, often lead to the best possible reactions. They know I have unconditional love for them, and that’s the most important thing.”

This week, Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Inter Milan’s interest in Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario.

There is belief that the goalkeeper is interested in leaving the London side. He is also said to have informed his entourage about his wishes, with initial talks already held.

InterLive now have their own take on the 29-year-old’s future at Tottenham and potential Inter move.

They report Inter could be willing to offer a swap deal to Spurs, in an attempt to land the goalkeeper.

Tottenham could be offered Davide Frattesi, with the midfielder described as a ‘highly regarded’ asset by the outlet. He’s barely been used in Serie A by Cristian Chivu, making him a sellable entity in January.

If Inter’s Oaktree management approves, he could be offered to Tottenham in a swap for Vicario. The report claims Fabio Paratici has been an admirer of the Italy international, who has wider interest in the Premier League.

A deal like this would only be offered in the summer. So the report claims that it is built on the basis of Frattesi staying at Inter beyond January.

The report claims Tottenham could value Vicario at over €30m. That is why the Nerazzurri want to insert a player in the deal.

Sergio Reguilón could be finally set to make his comeback after leaving Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer in the summer.

That’s according to Marca. They report that the defender is on the verge of joining Inter Miami as their replacement for Jordi Alba.

The newspaper reports that Inter Miami will be waving goodbye to Alba this weekend after competing in the MLS Cup final. And they already have a ‘Plan A’ to replace the former Barcelona star.

That man is Sergio Reguilón. His signing is ‘considered a done deal’ and it could even be officially announced in the days following Saturday’s final.

Reguilón has already been spotted in Miami in the last few days, adding further credence to the rumour. He’s at something of a disadvantage having been without a club for six months after leaving Tottenham. His last game was Tottenham’s clash with Aston Villa in May.

The 28-year-old has been ‘training extensively’ on his own since then. He hasn’t had any competitive minutes for anyone, though. Whether he can quickly overcome that at Inter Miami, remains to be seen.

On Thursday, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank was asked about Mathys Tel’s situation at the club.

The Dane praised the player, despite his lack of game time this season. He clarified that he could get more minutes soon enough.

This came after Gazzetta dello Sport again covered AS Roma interest in the Frenchman last month, as they look to improve their attack.

RomaForever take a deeper look at Tel and believe he would be the ‘perfect fit’ for the Italian side. A loan move is seen as ideal because the Giallorossi would give the Tottenham player enough minutes to prove himself once again.

Gian Piero Gasperini is a fan of the 20-year-old’s versatility as he can play upfront and on the left. The Italian wants a player of that type, with the club’s attack struggling to score consistently.

While a deal is not believed to be underway, Roma will latch onto any opportunity if handed to them.

Frank’s words could have a damaging impact on the move. It’s believed that if Tel’s game time still doesn’t increase at Tottenham, Roma will attempt a loan.

The youngster has been of interest to the Italian side for weeks now. It remains to be seen if Spurs open up to his exit.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dejan Kulusevski is considered a dream signing for Napoli and manager Antonio Conte.

That’s according to Area Napoli. They report that Conte and director of football Giovanni Manna are working on a possible deal for the Tottenham star.

They explain that Napoli are going through something of an emergency in midfield and, as a result, want to find a solution in the January transfer window. Several names are already on their shortlist. One of those names is particularly appealing to Conte.

That’s Kulusevski at Tottenham. He’s the ‘favourite’ as far as the Italian coach is concerned. He is also considered an ‘impossible dream’ at this point. There is a belief Tottenham would be reluctant to sell in January.

That stance could change if Napoli, or anybody else, were to make a ‘substantial offer’. Whether they’d be willing to do so isn’t mentioned. But the Tottenham man is at the top of their list, nonetheless.

Napoli have tried to sign him in the past without success, never quite making the final move to make it happen. Whether they’re now willing to do so to satisfy Conte, remains to be seen.

Anderlecht rising star Nathan de Cat has been urged to avoid interest from the likes of Aston Villa, Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur.

The advice comes from analysts Marc Degryse, via Voetbal Primeur. He believes the youngster should look at Germany before the Premier League.

De Cat has been earning rave reviews for his performances at Anderlecht this season. He’s quickly become an indispensable part of the starting line up under Besnik Hasi.

The midfielder is impressing week by week, and his performances have not gone unnoticed. A report in the UK named Aston Villa, Brighton and Tottenham as admirers last month.

De Cat’s agents later dismissed this but a separate report in Belgium further insisted that the Premier League trio were keen. A move in the January transfer window could even be on the cards.

Degryse, though, would advise against that. Instead, he believes De Cat should be looking elsewhere.

“If I were De Cat, I’d go to Germany first before moving to the Premier League,” he said.

“You shouldn’t immediately want to go to Manchester City. First, go to a major league, be a real pillar there for a few seasons. If you then want to take the step to the real top at 22 or 23, you’ll be much better protected.”

Whether De Cat takes that advice, particularly if Aston Villa, Brighton or Tottenham do come calling, remains to be seen.

For now, his focus will be on continuing to shine for Anderlecht. They’re already impressed by him, with analyst Frank Boeckx likening him to a current Villa star, Youri Tielemans.

“I think he’s a mix between Dendoncker and Tielemans. And I think there’s even more Tielemans in him than is currently coming out,” he added.

“Defensively, he’s incredibly strong. He chooses his position wisely, but De Cat can do much more than that. Whether he can ultimately distribute the play like Tielemans is the question.”

On Thursday, Gazzetta dello Sport confidently claimed Guglielmo Vicario will leave Tottenham in the summer.

Frustrated with struggles in London, the goalkeeper informed his agents about his decision to depart, or so the story goes. Inter Milan see him as a key target for next summer

Talk about the 29-year-old’s future at Tottenham is now growing in Italy.

Journalist Enzo Bucchioni spoke to Tuttomercatoweb Radio about the ex-Empoli man. He made it clear that Vicario has improved at Spurs and is good enough to replace Yann Sommer at Inter.

He said, relayed by FCInter1908: “Since he went to England, his performance has improved. He’s matured as a goalkeeper. In England, the level of play in the penalty area is worse than in Italy, and the goalkeeper also has to compete with giants.”

Bucchioni further claimed that the Tottenham player wants to return to Italy and Inter have made an approach.

“Maybe he wants to return to Italy, because his performance has always been above average, he’s brought a lot of confidence to the team. I think he wants to come back, and that’s why Inter have made an approach.”

The journalist also tipped Vicario to become the next Sommer, via FCInter1908.

“It’s his reactivity that impresses me, he could be a young Sommer, with more reactivity.”

“He’s ready to take over the Inter starting shirt.”

Since joining Tottenham, the Italian has certainly improved. The Azzurri goalkeeper has grown into a leader and under Ange Postecoglou, he also impressed on the ball.

Vicario’s Tottenham contract runs out in the summer of 2028. This will make it difficult for Inter to sign him, but if the player pushes for an exit a transfer could become less complex.