Sport Witness

The next few hours will be ‘decisive’ as Tottenham Hotspur Head of Sport Fabio Paratici negotiates a move to Fiorentina.

That’s according to Gianluca di Marzio and Tuttomercatoweb. They both report that Paratici may be on the way out of Tottenham at some point today.

TMW report that there are more and more ‘concrete signs’ tat Paratici is about to accept the proposal from the Italian team. It was reported today that talks with the Tottenham man were underway and a five-year deal was on the table.

TMW now report that there has been ‘direct contact’ between the Tottenham man and Fiorentina. According to their information, Paratici has ‘already expressed his approval’ towards the proposal from the Tuscan club.

That’s considered a ‘significant opening’ in a negotiation which is now in the final stages. The various parties are working to define the final details before making the move official.

Gianluca di Marzio reports the sae. According to them, Paratici wants to leave Tottenham and return to Italy. There have been positive contacts between him and Fiorentina in the last few hours. In fact, Fiorentina are confident that they will receive the ‘final ok’ before too long.

The next few hours are seen as ‘decisive’, with Paratici currently in London ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Liverpool this evening. That could end up being his final game at the club if the current positive talks with Fiorentina continue at their current pace.

Fiorentina are pushing to convince Tottenham’s Fabio Paratici to become their Head of Football and leave Spurs

That’s according to journalist Matteo Moretto. He reports on Fiorentina’s efforts to hire the Tottenham sporting director.

He first reported earlier today that Fiorentina were ‘betting on’ Fabio Paratici to become the new Head of Football at their club. They have reportedly offered him a five-year deal to do so.

Moretto has now followed that up, reporting that negotiations between Fiorentina and Tottenham’s sporting director have advanced.

According to his information, the Italian club are pushing to convince the Tottenham executive to accept their offer. They are in constant contact with him about the potential move and there is a belief that there could be a breakthrough in the short term.

The indication is that they are confident they can convince Paratici to return to Italy. He’s only been back with Tottenham since October after serving a 30 month ban from football for his role in alleged false accounting and financial irregularities during his time as sporting director and managing director at Juventus.

The ban was initially imposed by the Italian Football Federation and then extended worldwide by FIFA. He subsequently stepped down from his role at Tottenham but returned in October. Now he could be set for a return to Italy, with Fiorentina working hard to get him.

Tottenham Hotspur appear to have secured themselves a future star in Luka Vuskovic, or a major profit if not.

That’s at least if the latest from BILD is anything to go by. They cover a ‘market value explosion’ in the Bundesliga and how Vuskovic is part of it.

He’s currently on loan at HSV Hamburg from Tottenham. He joined them in the summer after Tottenham elected to send him out on another loan deal to gain experience.

That’s proven to be a smart choice. He’s quickly established himself as a key player in the Bundesliga. His performances have been noted too, with him winning the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month in September and October already.

He looks like a potential star of the future, and BILD now report that is reflected in his market value. According to them, his value has skyrocketed from €18m at the start of the season to €45m at this moment in time.

He’s one of several youngsters in the Bundesliga enjoying a boom, alongside the likes of Lennart Karl, Said El Mala and Yan Diomande. What it means for Tottenham, remains to be seen. Either way, it appears they’re on to a winner with the youngster.

Tottenham Hotspur will have one of their midfielders heading into the Africa Cup of Nations with renewed purpose, judging by comments from Mali this week.

According to African Foot United, Yves Bissouma spoke during the official ceremony in which the Malian national team received the country’s flag ahead of the tournament.

The event carries strong symbolism, linking honour, responsibility and expectation. On this occasion, the Tottenham player left no doubts about the squad’s ambitions.

“We dream of bringing this trophy back to Bamako, and nothing and no one will be able to stop us,” Bissouma said. As captain, he took full responsibility for setting the tone. His words reflected a confident and defiant mindset. Mali no longer seem content with the label of serious outsiders at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The tournament also comes at a delicate moment in Bissouma’s club career. He he has recently lost his place in the Premier League side due to a knee injury, which has kept him sidelined since 15 August. And in addition, he has faced several off-pitch controversies, increasing the pressure around him.

Still, those issues did not feature in his speech. Instead, Bissouma focused on unity, maturity and collective responsibility. He stressed that this Malian generation believes it has the quality to go all the way. He also highlighted the importance of support from the nation.

With a squad that blends experience and youth, Mali approach the Africa Cup of Nations with belief rather than caution.

We’ll see if that confidence leads to glory, either for Mali or even for Tottenham.

Earlier this week, L’Interista reported Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario is Inter Milan’s priority target for next summer.

The goalkeeper has come under criticism this season, also being booed by Spurs fans during the loss to Fulham.

Despite questionable form, Inter see Vicario as a replacement for Yann Sommer. L’Interista report the 29-year-old Tottenham player is at the top of the Nerazzurri’s shortlist.

The player’s own stance over his future is playing a key role in the potential transfer. There’s a belief that in recent months, Vicario has built a determination to return to Italy.

He feels that his chapter at Tottenham and in England has concluded. The goalkeeper has been ‘enriched’ by his Premier League experience, and the Europa League title win.

It’s almost presented as him having moved to English football as some sort of finishing school, and now he’s ready to go home. The Italian media never truly believe their footballers can be content elsewhere/

Getting the player from Tottenham is seen as a statement of intent, with Inter unlikely to have problems covering Vicario’s €2.8m wages.

Tottenham are believed to want €25m to sell the Italy international, with the Nerazzurri seeking further negotiations and a figure closer to €20m.

While North London may be firmly split between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, it seems some bonds refused to be broken by it.

Former Arsenal star Thomas Vermaelen has revealed, to Ajax Showtime, that he and Tottenham hero Jan Vertonghen refused to let it get in their way.

Vermaelen has been speaking to the website about his career today. He discussed various parts of his career, including his early days at Ajax.

He was a product of their youth academy, and that mean he spent time playing with Vertonghen for Jong Ajax. They then stepped up to the Ajax first team.

Their careers went separate ways in 2009 when Vermaelen moved to Arsenal. Vertonghen didn’t end up in England until another three years later, when he joined Tottenham in a €12m deal in 2012. He had actually replaced his friend as Ajax’s first choice and captain after his departure.

Their transfers led to a new scenario, though, playing on opposite teams. Not only that, playing for fierce rivals in Arsenal and Tottenham.

They fortunately only came up against each other twice in the North London derby. And it seems that may have helped with maintaining their friendship.

“We didn’t see each other as rivals and awarded each other the best,” he said.

“It’s obviously a very big derby in England, but Jan and I still saw each other off the field. It’s not that I thought, oh, you’re playing at Tottenham now, I don’t like you as much. It lives mainly with the supporters.”

Leeds United appear to be one step ahead of Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur for Sevilla forward Rubén Vargas.

That’s at least according to Orgullo Biri. They report Leeds are working on a proposal worth €20m for the Swiss international. That puts them ahead of Aston Villa and Tottenham, who are only ‘closely monitoring’.

They both value his ‘dribbling skills’ and international experience but have not submitted formal offers as yet. Like Leeds, their interest goes back to earlier this year.

Aston Villa were credited with an interest while Monchi was still their director of football while Tottenham were named as suitors back in September. Both were then said to have sent scouts in a report back in November.

It appears Leeds are at the front of the queue, though. A report three days ago stated that they were preparing a €20m bid and Orgullo Biri are now saying the same. That appears to put them ahead of Aston Villa and Tottenham for the time being.

It’s also created a dilemma for Sevilla. €20m is more than Vargas’ current valuation of €12m and such a sale would provide a much-needed financial boost to strengthen the squad.

But losing Vargas, who is a key player, would also be a significant blow. It would weaken them in the attacking areas. It’s something the Spanish side need to weigh up as Leeds prepare their move.

Earlier this month, InterLive.it reported Inter Milan could offer Davide Frattesi to Tottenham Hotspur as part of a deal for Guglielmo Vicario. They also said Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici is a big fan of the midfielder.

InterLive.it didn’t specify whether the Europa League winners have an interest in Frattesi.

L’Interista now report Tottenham have been keeping a close watch on the 26-year-old for some time.

He’s been limited to 198 minutes from eight league games this season. The player is said to be planning to change clubs in the winter market. The report looks at the possible destinations and Tottenham get a mention.

It’s claimed the Italy international has received interest from several clubs and among these, Juventus and AS Roma stand out.

L’Interista makes it clear it’s their own information. They state the north London club, and Napoli have been added to this list.

The Italian club aren’t against sanctioning Frattesi’s sale in January but have ‘set a clear condition’. The outlet explains the Nerazzurri want over €30m and are unlikely to budge.

For now, a move to Tottenham is a possibility in January. It needs to be seen whether Thomas Frank’s side will meet Inter’s demand for the player admired by Paratici.

Rafael van der Vaart appears to have forgotten he played for Tottenham Hotspur. That’s if his latest comments are anything to go by anyway.

He’s recently been speaking to Ajax Showtime. The interview is largely focused on his frustration with Ajax’s youth team and their apparent lack of fun.

The Dutchman is a regular viewer of his former team’s youth set up, taking time to watch the upcoming talents in the Netherlands as part of his new life as a pundit and analyst.

He retired all the way back in 2018 at the age of 35, admitting that persistent injury issues had stopped him from playing at his previous level.

It ended an 18-year career that saw him come through at Ajax and play for the first team, before spells at Hamburger, Real Madrid, Tottenham and later Real Betis, FC Midtjylland and Esbjerg. He also enjoyed 109 appearances for the Netherlands.

Tottenham fans will remember his two years at the club fondly. He enjoyed a productive two years with them, scoring 27 goals in 77 appearances and becoming a firm fan favourite. The former midfielder, though, appears to have completely forgotten about those happy times.

Ajax Showtime provide his comments today, with the line ‘he doesn’t even mention his time at Tottenham’ when it comes to discussing his career.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my career. And yet there are people who think I didn’t make the most of it,” he said.

“Twelve years at Ajax, stints at Real Madrid, 109 international matches and a World Cup final, scoring around two hundred goals. Then it would be very ungrateful to say: it just didn’t work out… Right?

“You shouldn’t oversimplify things. I’ve always been a fan. That’s how I analyse. That’s why I can get annoyed with Jong Ajax and the youth team. They don’t smile anymore. I come to watch De Toekomst, it’s raining, you’re standing there. Then it seems like we, the parents, are forcing those children onto the pitch.

“Ajax really needs to do something about that. It might be a terrible cliché, but it starts with joy. I made sure that the child within me never disappeared.”

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United may have just been handed a warning over Koln star Said El Mala. He won’t go anywhere without his brother, as Borussia Dortmund learned in 2024.

Sky Germany cover comments from him today, made in an interview with 11 Freunde. In that, explained why he turned down Dortmund a year ago.

El Mala is currently one of the hottest properties in German football, establishing himself as a rising star in the Bundesliga. He’s also been called up to the German national team by Julian Nagelsmann.

Several big clubs are already vying for him. A report yesterday insisted that Manchester United and Tottenham have made contact for a €30-40m deal.

If they are serious, then they need to bear in mind what previously happened to Dortmund. They were keen on El Mala last summer but ended up being turned down by the winger. Why? They didn’t realise his ‘close relationship’ with his brother Malek.

The pair have played at club alongside each other for years, initially transferring to TSV Meerbusch in the summer of 2021, and then to Viktoria Köln in the summer of 2023. Dortmund, though, only wanted Said.

“That was the end of it for me,” he explained in the interview with 11 Freunde. That was something Koln had been aware of, signing both. Malek is currently playing for the reserve team in the Regionalliga. The pair even live together in a shared apartment in the Ehrenfeld district of Cologne.

That’s something Manchester United and Tottenham need to be aware of. If they want to sign El Mala next summer, they may need to bring his brother along too.