Sport Witness

Nicolo Fagioli has enjoyed the last few months at Fiorentina and speculation about interest from Tottenham is growing.

This is the Italian’s first full season in Florence. He joined them on an initial loan from Juventus in January 2025 but the move was made permanent in the summer.

The first few months of the season were a struggle – for Fiorentina and Fagioli. They were in the bottom three but after Paolo Vanoli’s appointment, things have changed.

The midfielder has become one of their most important players in 2026, dictating play and often marauding forward too. This has led to Tottenham monitoring his situation, with SportWitness having covered the rumours this week.

Today’s Corriere dello Sport also hype the Italy international.

Tottenham have to meet key condition

The newspaper claim that Fagioli will be the centre of Fiorentina’s project next season. They see Tottenham’s interest as proof of his quality, with the player to be handed the keys to La Viola’s midfield.

There is some certainty about this, with Fiorentina prepared to reject offers that come their way.

To sign him, Tottenham need to make ‘irresistible’ offers that leave the Italian side no option but to accept it. There is no clear indication of the amount that could be, but Fiorentina paid €13.5m to sign him permanently last year.

Now, he weighs around €9m on their accounts, with his contract running out in 2028.

There are no signs that Fiorentina are attempting a renewal either. This means a sale in 2026 could be their best chance at earning a big capital gain from his sale.

Our take: Spurs should push for move

Considering the numbers, anything around €40m can prove enough to sign Fagioli. Italian clubs generally can’t afford that amount unless Fiorentina would accept an initial loan deal, which appears unlikely.

Stylistically, Fagioli would fit Tottenham like a glove. He offers a higher technical ability than Joao Palhinha, Conor Gallagher, Pape Matar Sarr and even Yves Bissouma. He is also much more versatile, having also played as an attacking midfielder in the past.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side lack technical acumen deep in midfield. Fagioli fixes that issue and is still only 25. Signing him for anything around €40m can prove to be an excellent deal.

Manchester United could yet snatch the signing of Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi out of the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

Journalist César Luis Merlo reports that Manchester United are still in the mix for the 29-year-old this summer.

Bournemouth exit confirmed

Marcos Senesi confirmed today that he intends to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season when his contract expires.

“I’m proud of everything we achieved over the last four years and grateful for the support the fans always gave me,” he told the club’s official channels.

The question is, where he goes next. According to Merlo, the Argentine centre-back has plenty of suitors in the Premier League.

Tottenham, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are all ‘vying’ for his signature according to the journalist’s information. Which of those the defender chooses, if any of them, remains to be seen.

Tottenham appeared to be out in front over the last few weeks. Sport Witness have covered numerous reports stating as much. In fact the last of those made it clear that their offer was in, and it was the best on the table at present.

Manchester United interest

But Manchester United have always been on the scene as well. A report last month continued to insist that they were one of the clubs chasing the Bournemouth defender this summer.

And if Merlo is to believed they remain in the picture at this point. Indeed he has them ‘vying’ for the centre-back with Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham. That would suggest Senesi has not made any definitive decisions about his future as yet.

There’s also the interest from Italy to consider. Various reports in Italy have named Juventus and Napoli as suitors thanks to his free-agent status. They could yet make moves of their own, with the summer not even here yet.

Either way, Marcos Sensi has a decision to make. He clearly has offers, including in the Premier League. Now it’s a question of which one he accepts.

Sassuolo are attempting to sell Tarik Muharemovic this summer and Tottenham are well-placed for a move.

Earlier this week, the Neroverdi CEO Giovanni Carnevali flew to London to speak to English clubs about the Bosnian.

Sport Witness reported this club possibly being Tottenham, with Roberto De Zerbi’s side previously mentioned as a possible suitor.

This was also Sassuolo’s attempt to hike their defender’s value, with Inter Milan also trying to sign him. Juventus are also interested but have always appeared far behind the newly-crown Italian champions.

Today’s coverage about the centre-back hints at why Carnevali travelled to England in the first place.

Spurs have come forward

TuttoSport report that even if Inter hold on to Alessandro Bastoni, they will attempt to sign Muharemovic. This is because Francesco Acerbi and Stefan De Vrij will leave, forcing Cristian Chivu to sign two defenders.

They have held showdown talks with Sassuolo for their centre-back and the idea of a cash plus swap deal has emerged.

In the meantime, Tottenham are indeed ‘making enquiries’ and threatening the Nerazzurri’s chase.

Inter have tried to insert Mattia Mosconi as part of their move. The two clubs have always had a very good working relationship but despite that, Carnevali has flown to London to possibly speak to Spurs.

That is why Oumar Solet is an alternative, with the Frenchman viewed as a more versatile option.

Juventus prepared to back away

Another report by TuttoSport believes Sassuolo want €35m for the Bosnia international. This request appears fixed and they aren’t in favour of having players as part of a deal.

This report also mentions Tottenham as a suitor and indicate Juve are happy to walk away from their former youth player.

They have a sell-on clause worth 50% in his current Sassuolo contract. They are keen on earning that money and possibly investing that in someone like Michael Kayode or Giorgio Scalvini instead.

Path clearing for England move

Sassuolo are standing firm in their valuation and are not budging at all from the €35m price.

An amount like that is usually difficult for Italian clubs to afford, unless they make a major sale. If Inter keep Bastoni, they may not be able to pay the entire €35m to Sassuolo, handing Tottenham a big chance at a move.

The Emilia-Romagna club do use English interest to bump up asking prices for their best players. But in this case, interest from Spurs appears genuine, unless a move for Marcos Senesi is already done and dusted for the summer. The Argentine and the 23-year-old Bosnian are very similar players and signing both makes no sense.

Tottenham still have control of João Palhinha’s future, but Sporting are now acting like his return is a genuinely realistic possibility.

Palhinha has been one of Spurs’ most important players in this delicate season. The Portugal international has made 31 Premier League appearances this season. He has also scored four goals and provided two assists, recently netting a crucial winner away at Wolverhampton.

Roberto De Zerbi has publicly praised him several times and wants him as part of Tottenham’s long-term plans. Spurs are still expected to try keeping him permanently.

However, there is still no final agreement with Bayern Munich.

And Sporting have already been closely watching Tottenham’s talks with the Germans. This interest has increased especially after recent news that Spurs want to negotiate the €30m (£25.8m) purchase option down rather than simply triggering it.

Now the situation is starting to affect other transfer plans at Alvalade.

Sporting willing to put other plans on hold

According to Record, Sporting are cooling their interest in Real Betis midfielder Sergi Altimira because of their growing focus on Palhinha. Moreover, it is not being framed as a vague dream move anymore.

The feeling there is that Palhinha has become attainable enough for Sporting to push other targets into the background while waiting for clarity from Tottenham.

In short, Spurs’ uncertainty is giving Sporting belief.

Record say Sporting are prepared to wait until the end of the season for Palhinha before fully moving onto alternative midfield targets. That is a pretty major shift internally.

Sporting know Morten Hjulmand is likely leaving this summer, while Hidemasa Morita is also nearing the exit door. Altimira had emerged as one of the priority names to help rebuild midfield.

Now the Spanish midfielder is losing momentum because Palhinha is taking over the conversation.

The Portuguese newspaper explains Sporting believe the process around the Tottenham midfielder could drag on until after the World Cup because of the money involved and Spurs’ own uncertainty.

If Tottenham activate the €30m (£25.8m) clause, the story is basically over. But if Spurs hesitate too long – or if relegation changes their financial reality completely – Sporting feel the road suddenly opens up for them.

There is a financial factor here too. Record added that Sporting know they would struggle financially against RB Leipzig for Altimira, who is also wanted in Germany. So from their point of view, waiting for Palhinha may actually make more sense anyway.

Family factor now helping Sporting

There is another thing strengthening Sporting’s confidence. According to A Bola, Palhinha recently rejected approaches from major Turkish clubs because he wants to remain close to his family.

As we previously covered, Portuguese reports had already stated the midfielder would welcome a return to Sporting for personal reasons. However, this is now being backed up by concrete decisions in the market.

The report also points out an important legal detail around Tottenham’s option to buy.

Even though Spurs hold the €30m (£25.8m) clause, the permanent transfer still requires full agreement between Bayern Munich, Tottenham and Palhinha himself. That gives the player significant leverage in the process.

In practice, Tottenham cannot simply activate the option and force the move through if Palhinha’s priorities point elsewhere. And in Portugal, there is growing belief that family considerations are becoming a major factor in the story.

Player’s wishes becoming increasingly important

Tottenham are still pushing to keep Palhinha. De Zerbi remains a huge admirer of the midfielder and reportedly wants to build part of next season’s squad around him.

Even so, the tone in Portugal is increasingly shifting towards the player’s side of the equation.

The fact Sporting are already deprioritising other targets to focus on Palhinha shows how seriously they are taking the possibility of bringing him home.

For now, Tottenham remain in the race to sign him permanently. But the growing feeling in Portugal is that this story may ultimately depend less on clauses and more on what Palhinha himself wants next.

Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario is likely to be on his way out of the club in the summer. A new name has emerged that can act as a replacement.

Sport Witness have covered Inter Milan’s agreement over personal terms for the 29-year-old. Vicario has been keen on the move, having been left frustrated by life at the London club.

Inter are yet to make a final evaluation but if they do sign a goalkeeper, Vicario remains top of their shortlist. Negotiations with Tottenham aren’t expected to be easy but the Nerazzurri have an excellent working relationship with the goalkeeper’s agent.

This will go a long way in bringing both parties closer at the end of the season.

The British press has mentioned Manchester City’s James Trafford as a possible replacement for Vicario. The Italian media seems to have other ideas.

Meret considering exit

AreaNapoli report Napoli keeper Alex Meret can leave the Partenopei in the summer. He would ideally want to stay in Italy but options have dried up on that front.

His current deal in Naples runs out in 2027 and Tottenham could enter the picture for him.

Spurs executives would not mind having another Italian in goal either. The 29-year-old’s agent is believed to be pulling the strings for a summer departure, now that Vanja Milinkovic-Savic appears to be Napoli’s first choice between the sticks.

The player has been offered to Monaco but it remains to be seen if any deal goes through or not.

None of Juventus or Inter Milan currently seem interested. As possible opportunities in Italy fade, Meret is slowly opening up to moving abroad.

Our take: Meret not an upgrade on Vicario

Alex Meret has won the Serie A twice in his Napoli career so far. He has mainly been solid during those seasons, with a few high-profile errors. He, like Vicario, has weaknesses on the ball.

Since Tottenham want to rebuild next season, they should look at younger profiles. If they want to shop in Italy, someone like Elia Caprile would make more sense. Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi could be expensive but he can easily prove to be an upgrade on Vicario, offer value on the ball and become their goalkeeper for the next ten years or so.

HSV Hamburg sporting director Claus Costa has admitted it will be nearly impossible for them to replace Luka Vuskovic when he returns to Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Fussball Transfers cover comments from the Hamburg chief today from an interview with Hamburger Abendblatt.

Vuskovic impresses in Germany

Luka Vuskovic has been on loan with the German side since the summer and impressed from day one.

The 19-year-old quickly established himself as a key man for the Bundesliga side, with a series of impressive performances at the heart of their defence.

It’s a season which has been highly decorated too. The Tottenham youngster was voted Bundesliga Player of the Season so far by fans in January, has won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month four times and has been nominated for Player and Team of the Season.

HSV want to keep him beyond the summer, but it has been made increasingly clear that won’t be happening. The general consensus is that Vuskovic has outgrown the club this season with his performances.

Costa now admits that they know he’ll be going and replacing him will be a near impossible task.

“Replacing him with someone of equal calibre will be impossible, even though we have played successfully without him” he said.

“Luka is an exceptional player, but also an exceptional personality. At 18, he exemplified things in the dressing room that you would normally expect from a 28-year-old.

“Add to that the connection and the history surrounding the Vuskovic name and family. Everyone was looking forward to him. Only Mario can fulfil that emotional expectation, no one else.”

Tottenham or a new club?

The big question is what happens to Luka Vuskovic once he does return to Tottenham. Spurs seem intent on keeping him, even if they’re in the Championship.

But the defender’s performances this season haven’t gone unnoticed. Reports have already linked him with some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

And it appears that he has big ambitions too. He has reportedly made it clear he wants to move even if Tottenham remain in the Premier League.

That’s set up a potential summer of constant rumours and talks, with his agent already pushing his name at Barcelona. HSV, meanwhile, will start the difficult task of finding a replacement.

Tottenham Hotspur target Nicolò Fagioli recently changed his agents, hinting that a transfer could be on the cards this summer.

Firenze Viola report that the 25-year-old has swapped agents ahead of what could be a busy summer transfer window.

Tottenham and other suitors

The website states that it was ‘quite predictable’ that the several foreign clubs were beginning to notice and monitor Nicolò Fagioli’s growth this year. He has impressed at Fiorentina despite a disastrous season for them.

Now he appears to be in Tottenham’s sights. Reports have made it clear that Roberto De Zerbi is a fan of his compatriot and would be keen on a move in the summer. That’s dependent on Spurs avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

The feeling is that Tottenham may just be the first in a long series of teams ready to knock on the Viola’s door this summer. And the midfielder appears to be setting himself up for offers.

He recently announced that he has swapped agencies, from CAA Stellar Agency to Giovanni Branchini & Associates. That would hint that a potential move being on the cards this summer.

Tottenham lining up

The ball will be in Fiorentina’s court. It remains to be seen whether Fabio Paratici will sanction an exit or decides to block any exit and build Fiorentina’s team around him moving forwards.

Either way, Tottenham appear to be lining up a transfer if they avoid relegation this summer. Sport Witness covered a report earlier today indicating as much.

That report made it clear that Tottenham are getting serious about Nicolò Fagioli. The Italian midfielder is seen as a player who could help solve their midfield woes moving forwards.

Tottenham are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel with Cristian Romero’s recovery. The defender steps up his rehabilitation work in London following the knee injury he suffered last month.

Romero has missed a key stretch of Spurs’ season since going down against Sunderland in April. Moreover, given Tottenham’s position near the bottom of the table, losing their captain and defensive leader could hardly have come at a worse time.

The Argentine has remained one of the few reliable figures in an extremely turbulent campaign. His absence has been felt both defensively and emotionally, especially with Spurs fighting to stay in the Premier League.

Now, though, there are signs he is moving closer to a return.

Romero changes plans to stay with Tottenham

Cristian Romero had initially planned to travel back to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation at the national team training centre in Ezeiza. Instead, he has decided to stay in London.

According to Diario Crónica, Romero changed plans because of Tottenham’s survival battle. Furthermore, his desire to remain close to the club during the final weeks of the season influenced his decision.

Argentina’s medical staff then adapted to the situation by sending kinesiologist Luis García to England to help oversee the process directly.

There are also positive developments physically. The report explains Romero is now out of the knee brace. He has already progressed into more active rehabilitation exercises. The defender himself hinted at that progress by posting photos of the work on Instagram.

That marks another important step after Romero was diagnosed with a Grade 1 injury to the collateral ligament in his right knee. The original recovery estimate was between six and seven weeks.

Spurs need Romero back quickly… don’t they?

Tottenham’s need for Romero hardly needs explaining at this point.

Even under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs have looked fragile. Romero’s absence has only increased that feeling. He brings technicality, leadership and passion to a side that has lacked consistency throughout the campaign.

According to WhoScored data, Romero averages more than 2 tackles per match. He remains one of Tottenham’s strongest players in aerial duels and recoveries. Indeed, those numbers underline how much defensive work runs through him.

It is still curious, however, that Spurs only picked up their first Premier League wins of 2026 after the Argentine was sidelined with the injury.

The interesting part is that his recovery is now being managed with two separate objectives in mind.

Tottenham want him back as soon as possible for the relegation fight. Argentina, meanwhile, are also carefully monitoring one of Lionel Scaloni’s key players ahead of the World Cup.

Diario Crónica explains that the friendlies against Honduras and Iceland are viewed as potentially crucial for Romero’s preparation before Argentina open their World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16.

Atlético Madrid links return again

The report also revives the familiar transfer talk around Romero’s future. Even though he signed a new Tottenham contract until 2029 last year, there is still a feeling in Argentina that he could look for a move after the World Cup.

Atlético Madrid are again being mentioned as a serious possibility, especially after Diego Simeone extended his own contract in Spain. Romero has been linked with the Spanish side multiple times over the past year. The admiration there is well known.

For now, though, the focus remains on recovery.

Romero appears determined to return in time to help Tottenham through the final weeks of the season, while also making sure he reaches the World Cup in the best condition possible.

Daniel Levy once blocked Danish coach Morten Olsen from becoming Tottenham Hotspur manager, as he didn’t want a Dane or Dutch coach at the time.

Ekstra Bladet report comments from Frank Arnesen today regarding the sliding doors moment back in 2004.

Tottenham interest

The newspaper explains that Morten Olsen was a hot name back in European football at the time, having guided Denmark to the World Cup in 2002 and then the European Championship in 2004.

Both teams earned admirers for their performances at those tournaments and, Frank Arnesen, Tottenham’s sporting director, was keen on Olsen as a result.

But, as he’s now revealed him his book ‘Total football’, he found Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy in opposition to the idea.

“Tottenham needed a new head coach the summer I joined the club. I wanted Morten Olsen, but I was not allowed to take a coach from Denmark or the Netherlands,” he said.

“It was a requirement. If things didn’t go well in the first three or four months, I would come under extra pressure because I had chosen a coach from a country I was attached to, Daniel Levy thought. There was no reason to take any risks.”

Olsen confirms Tottenham interest

Morten Olsen is happy to corroborate that story too. He admits that Tottenham were in contact on several occasions, during his playing career and as a manager. Although, he can’t remember the when and how of their approaches.

“They wanted to take me at some point while I was still playing. I ended up going to Cologne instead,” he said.

He is also insistent that, had a firm approach arrived, he would have turned it down anywat. He was too focused on his work with Denmark at the time.

“The job is now such that you get noticed if your team does well, if your performance is good,” he added.

“So of course it is nice to hear when others show interest. But I would not have accepted the offer if the offer had come. The offer would have came in the middle of a contract. And I did not want to leave in the middle of a contract period.”

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