Sport Witness

Igor Tudor played something of a €1.5m gamble with Juventus that eventually paid off with his move to Tottenham Hotspur.

That’s according to Tuttomercatoweb and Tutto Juve, who both cover the manager today. The Italian outlets cover Juventus’ half-year financial reports. Those reports have detailed the cost to sack Tudor in October.

TMW explain that the decision to terminate Tudor’s contract in October 2025, alongside his coaching staff, cost the club €7.6m in total.

The Croatian manager had a contract for another year and a half. Juventus terminated that early in October before he eventually arrived at Tottenham.

Why Tottenham manager walked away from €1.5m

Tutto Juve provide more detail on the matter. According to them, Tudor elected to leave ‘half a year’s salary’ on the table. Juventus owed him another €3m but ‘to avoid litigation and a long trail’ he gave that up.

Fortunately, a few months later, he joined Tottenham, ‘probably with a bit of luck on his side’. The belief was that the money he left at Juventus was ‘absorbed’ into the contract he later signed with Spurs.

In other words, Tudor played something of a gamble. He left €1.5m on the table but freed himself up to later move elsewhere. Tottenham then came calling and he signed a contract with them until the end of the season instead.

Why Juventus contract was questioned

There’s no mention of his pay-packet with Spurs, but it’s likely to include the €1.5m he left behind at Juventus. There’s certainly no criticism on his part.

Instead, Tutto Juve question why they handed Tudor such a deal at a time when “every Euro counts”. Extending his deal for an extra year was a ‘half-hearted move’ at best. That is particularly the case given Antonio Conte was supposed to be the target at all costs.

That means Tudor could ‘only have been a backup’. Now the Italian side rue a €7.6m payment to remove Tudor and his staff as they focus on life at Tottenham.

Tottenham manager Igor Tudor faces a huge challenge at his new club and saw the first signs of that in the defeat to Arsenal.

Sport Witness have covered how the Croatian has already been making some major decisions, in an attempt to bring the club back on track. He had a difficult job to do at Juventus too last season and he didn’t disappoint, taking them into the Champions League.

The Tottenham job right now is similar to where Tudor found himself at Udinese. He saved the club from relegation in 2018 and Spurs need the same.

Former Udinese player Bram Nuytinck has now spoken about Tudor’s time at the club, and spoke of a broken relationship with the manager.

Dutch defender not a fan of Tottenham manager

Currently at NEC, the defender spoke to Gianluca di Marzio about his time under Tudor.

He made it clear that the Croatian shouts a lot and the two never quite got along at Udinese. The Dutchman also revealed Tudor’s tough approach to training, something he’s started at Tottenham already.

“Even in Udine I had a difficult time. With Tudor, who coached us twice, we never really clicked. The first time, in 2018, he shouted a lot, he was harsh. I remember an argument with Seko Fofana in training. He sent him off the pitch.”

Bram Nuytunck clarified that Udinese needed a shock at that point and the Tottenham manager gave them exactly that.

“The team needed a shock. He came on with four games to go and we were in difficulty. At the time I didn’t understand it, but over time I’ve come to terms with it. In the end we saved ourselves, he left and came back the following year, in similar circumstances. Same script: tough approach and safety.”

Adding more details, the player revealed Tudor played a role in his sale from Udinese.

“He was confirmed for the following season and in the summer he told me he no longer wanted me in the team.

“I’ll tell you – on the last day of the transfer window, the management called me. ‘Bram, we sold you to Ligue 1. We’re sorry, but you’re not in the coach’s plans. Good luck .’ I didn’t want to believe it. I knew I could still help Udinese. In fact, I refused the offer and was left on the bench for months.”

Nuytinck revealed he enjoyed much more under Luca Gotti than Tudor.

“Until After ten games, Tudor was fired. Gotti arrived in his place , and something special immediately happened with him. In his first job, he relaunched me as a starter, and it was fantastic. I thank him. I stayed at Udinese for another three years thanks to him too.”

Tottenham manager takes no prisoners

It is clear that Tudor was quite open and clear about his rules and ideas at Udinese. This impacted Nuytinck’s career but the club achieved a larger goal of staying in Serie A.

That is exactly what Tottenham want right now too, considering the desperate situation. Thomas Frank appeared to have problems with specific players and Tudor will have to fix that using his own, ruthless methods.

Injuries won’t help but the new manager will have to make big decisions around selections in the next few weeks. That is likely to define the season and considering his track record as interim manager, Tudor can surely be relied upon to do the task.

At least Igor Tudor is specifically experienced at dealing with a troublesome Dutch defender during a relegation battle. That may come in handy soon.

Xavi Simons joined Tottenham Hotspur from RB Leipzig in August 2025, after Chelsea courted him for several months.

The attacking midfielder has scored two goals and contributed five assists from 32 games for Tottenham. This includes one Premier League goal against Brentford in December and two assists in the league in 2026.

The Netherlands international initially struggled at Tottenham, resulting in criticism from a section of the Dutch press.

Three months ago, Sport Witness covered French claims stating the former Paris Saint-Germain is struggling to cope with the Premier League’s intensity.

Simons received a straight red in Spurs’ league defeat to Liverpool in December and had to serve a three-match ban. Since then, he has played every minute in the league while Tottenham have failed to register a win.

He failed to impress in the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. His performance against the Gunners has been subject to criticism from a section of Spurs supporters.

Tuesday’s edition of Bild claims RB Leipzig supporters have now slammed the 22-year-old for his actions online, adding to his personal drama.

Backlash from Leipzig fans to Tottenham player

At the weekend, the Bundesliga side came close to securing three points against Borussia Dortmund. Fábio Silva scored a late equaliser, forcing Leipzig to settle for a point.

After the match, the Portugal international shared a post on Instagram, captioned ‘Until the last minute’. Bild explain the Tottenham player not only liked it but also commented ‘Brindemos’, which translates to ‘Let’s toast’ in English.

Bild’s title states ‘Fans furious! Xavi celebrates Dortmund goal’, which should give a clue that his latest comment clearly didn’t please the supporters of his former club. There’s been a backlash against him to the extent it’s reached the German media.

The Dutchman spent two seasons at the German club, managing 22 goals and 24 assists from 78 matches.

Simons played with Silva at PSV Eindhoven during the 2022/23 season and Bild say the pair have been friends since then. Therefore, it’s not surprising to see him comment on Silva’s latest post.

John Heitinga’s agent Rob Jansen has revealed Tottenham Hotspur wanted his client to continue at the club.

The representative has been talking about his client’s short spell at Tottenham on podcast KieftJansenEgmondGijp and FCUpdate have relayed his comments.

Jansen joins journalist Michel Van Egmond and former Dutch players, Wim Kieft and René van der Gijp, to discuss football.

The quartet discussed Heitinga’s Tottenham exit in the latest episode.

Short Tottenham spell

Tottenham endured a difficult run under Thomas Frank, winning seven of their 26 league matches this season. The Danish coach tried to improve things by adding Heitinga to his backroom staff on January 15th.

Last month, the assistant manager’s agent said he wasn’t expecting Spurs to sack Frank. He was wrong as the north London club parted ways with their manager on February 11th.

Three days later, Spurs appointed Igor Tudor as interim manager until the end of this season and Heitinga followed through the exit door on Friday.

Spurs wanted Heitinga stay

Sport Witness recently covered the Dutch claims that Heitinga left the Premier League side after holding talks with Tudor.

Jansen now says otherwise, insisting Tottenham wanted his client to be part of the Croatian’s team. He explained why the Dutchman decided to leave the club.

“He was allowed to stay. They even asked him to stay. All other coaches, all Scandinavian, left. And after three weeks, they told him: ‘Please stay and see out your contract here.’ That’s quite an achievement for someone who worked there for three weeks,” he said.

“But he said: ‘Yes, but now Igor Tudor, a Croatian coach, is coming with a whole staff for three or four months’. That man is always hired for emergency jobs.

“That almost never works. Why they did that is a mystery to me. And then another coach will come in. So, you can leave twice. That new coach will also come in with 45 people. He said, ‘This is pointless, Rob. I have to leave now’.”

Why Tottenham overlooked the Dutchman

Kieft put it to Jansen he knew Frank’s situation at Tottenham when his client took the job. When responding to that, the agent admits Heitinga’s initial plan was to take over from Dane, but Spurs lacked confidence.

“But there was a chance he would take over; we had that in mind. Only: the club didn’t. After three weeks, they decided it was too soon. So, then you have an interim manager,” Jansen explained.

“What does the management do, or in this case, the owners, the Lewis family? They opt for some kind of security. They hire someone with a track record, someone known as a crisis manager at struggling clubs for a few months. That saves their image. Unless they dare to continue with Heitinga and a new staff, but they won’t.”

When the agent was asked if Heitinga received a compensation from Spurs, he added: “I’m always good at drawing up contracts in advance, as you know.”

Tottenham Hotspur let Luka Vušković join Hamburg SV on a season-long loan deal towards the end of last summer.

The Croatia international has played 1920 minutes from 24 matches and has been one of the standout players for the Bundesliga side this season.

As things stand, the centre-back will have to return to Tottenham after his loan spell in Germany.

Last week, Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin publicly expressed his desire to keep the 18-year-old.

Hamburg director on Tottenham man

Claus Costa, the German club’s sporting director, has been speaking to Sport1 to discuss the possibility of retaining the defender beyond this season.

Hamburg haven’t agreed a purchase option or obligation with Spurs as part of the loan deal. Therefore, the official says that as of now, there’s no chance of retaining him for long.

“Contractually, there’s no chance he’ll stay. It’s purely a loan, and we have no way to tie Luka to HSV long-term,” he said.

The Tottenham owned player has talked about his desire to extend his loan stay, to play with his brother, Mario. The latter is at Hamburg and is currently serving a doping ban until November.

Tottenham defender’s dream

Last month, Luka admitted he’ll make a decision on his future with Igor Tudor’s side at the end of this season.

On the possibility of the brothers playing together, Costa explained: “Of course, there’s this romantic notion that Luka will one day play alongside his brother Mario.

“Of course, we’re in contact with him [Mario]. He’s not allowed to train or play football for any club. But he’s in top physical condition, working hard with an absolute dedication and passion that is second to none.”

Former Spurs and Leicester City midfielder Steffen Freund was also part of Sport1’s panel. He’s confident Hamburg won’t be able to retain him because of the north London club.

“Tottenham will definitely bring him back. He’s playing so well; in today’s football, the system clearly takes its toll. I can’t imagine HSV has a chance of keeping him. That’s where the system comes in. He’s too good for HSV,” he added.

Guglielmo Vicario has been the No.1 for Tottenham Hotspur since joining them from Empoli in 2023.

Inter Milan have identified the goalkeeper as a target for the summer. Over the past few weeks, Sport Witness have relayed several sources from Italy on the Serie A side’s interest.

Earlier this month, we relayed news that he’s happy at Tottenham but still wants to leave after this season.

Sport Witness covered recent claims from Italy of Inter Milan’s desire to sign the 29-year-old on a loan deal with an option or conditional obligation to buy. However, this doesn’t please Igor Tudor’s side.

The same report also mentioned Juventus joining the race to take the stopper away from Tottenham.

Why Juve are keen on Tottenham player

A fresh report from Gazzetta dello Sport picks up on that and covers the latest on the Old Lady’s interest in Vicario.

Michele Di Gregorio is the first-choice goalkeeper for Juve manager Luciano Spalletti and hasn’t been convincing recently.

The newspaper states Di Gregorio’s ‘string of errors’ against Lazio, the Nerazzurri and Como in the last two weeks have convinced Juventus to look for a new stopper. Therefore, the ‘hunt for a new number one is on at Juventus’.

Vicario is a priority target for Juventus

AC Milan star Mike Maignan was initially considered as his contract expires in June. Juve

have several names on their list and the Spurs man ‘is in pole position’. In other words, he is their priority target.

Gazzetta claim the ‘main road leads to London’ and specifically Tottenham because of the Italy international.

He will have two years left on his contract and the newspaper believes Spurs won’t be able to demand more than €25-30m. That may be wishful thinking from Juve via Gazzetta. Vicario earns €4.5m per year at Spurs.

Both the fee and the salary would fit the Turin club, who will have to overcome tough competition from Inter Milan.

If Juventus fail to sign Vicario, Gazzetta report they could turn their attention towards Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi.

Tottenham Hotspur have their eye on Palmeiras striker Flaco López as he continues to impress for the Brazilian club.

That’s according to journalist Diego Firmino. He reports that Tottenham have the player on their radar ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to his information, Palmeiras are expecting an offer of €40-45m to arrive for the 25-year-old after the World Cup. It remains unclear whether the move will come from Tottenham or elsewhere.

They’re not the only side in the Premier League showing an interest according to Firmino. He adds that Fulham and West Ham are also aware of him.

Fulham and West Ham

That’s something Sport Witness have covered over the last year. In August, reports said Fulham were monitoring López as a possible successor to Rodrigo Muniz.

Their interest was pushed forward again December when West Ham were also brought into the mix. Neither side ended up moving in the January transfer window, despite both targeting strikers to bolster their squads.

Now, according to Firmino, Tottenham are also showing an interest. Any summer move will remain on hold until they secure their Premier League status.

Given that’s far from the case, and they have an interim manager in Igor Tudor, López is likely just a name on a list.

Atlético Madrid competition for Tottenham

The striker has impressed for Palmeiras since joining them in a €9.5m deal in 2022. He’s since managed 62 goals and 18 assists in 189 games for the club. That followed 22 goals and five assists in 599 for CA Lanus.

The Premier League trio are not the only side interested, as Firmino says Atlético Madrid are also monitoring the Argentinian.

They have a deep and active connection with Argentina, with seven players from the Albiceleste in their current squad and Diego Simeone on the touchline too.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them provide competition to Fulham, West Ham and Tottenham should they ever make concrete moves.

There’s not many at Tottenham Hotspur who will remember Jose Mourinho’s spell with fondness. But Troy Parrott certainly does.

That’s if his latest comments to Voetbal International are anything to go by. He has nothing but positive things to say about Mourinho’s time at Tottenham.

Sport Witness have already covered comments from the striker this week. He explained how he had come to choose Tottenham earlier in his career over the likes of Everton, Celtic and others.

Tottenham chance

Parrott joined Tottenham’s academy from Irish club Belvedere in 2017 at the age of 15. At the time he was likened to the likes of Robbie Keane and Harry Kane.

Instead, he would struggle to establish himself in the first team, going on to make just four senior appearances for Spurs across all competition before leaving permanently.

There was one manager who showed faith in him, though. That was Jose Mourinho.

He handed the youngster his Premier League debut in December 2019 during a 5-0 win over Burnley. He then handed him three further appearances of his total of four.

Mourinho backing

That means the Portuguese boss was a big part of the 24-year-old’s career. That’s something he’s happy to acknowledge.

“It was very special to work with one of the best trainers in the world,” he said.

“Mourinho spoke to me a lot, which made me feel a hundred times better. A manager with his status could easily focus only on the basic players. But he’s not like that.

“Mourinho also took time for young reserves. I noticed that he wanted to help me in my development. I look back on that with a very good feeling.”

Of course, Tottenham fans are unlikely to share the positive feeling about Mourinho’s time at their club.

They view it as very much a failed experiment that ended the club’s progressive era under Mauricio Pochettino without delivering the silverware it was designed to bring.

Earlier this week, Sport Witness covered claims from BILD about Tottenham’s interest in Leon Goretzka.

Igor Tudor’s side were said to be competing with Arsenal for the German, whose contract at Bayern Munich runs out in the summer.

The newspaper appeared certain that the midfielder has decided to depart Bavaria after a period of eight years.

His stance about a future club was unclear, but now information is emerging from Italy about his preferences and demands.

Tottenham can have big advantage

L’Interista report about the Germany international, making it clear that Inter Milan are also interested in Goretzka.

Their task will be far from easy. That is mainly because of the 31-year-old’s salary, as he demands €9m per season. Inter can’t afford that and only clubs in the USA and Saudi Arabia will pay that.

As of now, Goretzka is keen on staying in Europe. This can prove to be important for Tottenham, who are also mentioned as a suitor. There is also interest from Manchester United, AC Milan and Galatasaray, with the player awaiting a final decision about his next club.

The outlet are quite sure that the ex-Schalke player will leave Bayern Munich.

Tottenham might not need Goretzka

As of now, Tottenham are in need of technically proficient midfielders who can construct attacks. They went the wrong way in January and signed Conor Gallagher, despite his strengths lying in the final third.

Goretzka is quite the same. He has never been a technical outlet and his best has come as a receiver around the box.

That makes him a player that Tottenham can do without. Besides, he will command a massive wage. Spurs may be able to afford that but he will not fulfil the value, especially if he plays deeper. He is 29 and would also only be a short-term option.

That is why the London club should be careful about this move and let other clubs push ahead.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the clubs in the picture to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba in the summer.

That’s at least what Africa Foot are reporting. Their title says Tottenham are ‘in a fight’ with Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid for the centre-back.

Last year, Sport Witness covered claims of Newcastle United wanting to sign him at the start of this season. This is again mentioned in the latest report.

Tottenham in mix for Edmond Tapsoba

Fast forward to February and a fresh report from Africa Foot now covers Tottenham, Inter Milan and Atlético interest.

These three clubs are in the Champions League, with Igor Tudor’s side already making it to the next round.

Both the Nerazzurri and Diego Simeone’s side have to overcome FK Bodø/Glimt and Club Brugge respectively in play-offs to qualify for last 16.

It’s claimed these three clubs are monitoring the Burkina Faso’s international situation closely.

Bayer Leverkusen set price for centre-back

The Italian club have been following the defender for more than two years but haven’t made progress so far because Bayer Leverkusen’s asking price has deterred them.

Africa Foot claim Los Rojiblancos, for their part, see the 27-year-old as ‘complete and decisive defender’.

Tapsoba has a contract until 2028 and could change clubs after this season. The report states Bayer Leverkusen need at least €40m to sanction his sale. This is an indication the German club would be in favour of his exit in the next window.

Inter Milan’s reluctant to meet Bayer Leverkusen’s high demand leaves Spurs to fight with Atlético for Tapsoba’s signature.

Tudor has Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Radu Drăgușin as centre-backs at his disposal. Ben Davies, who is contracted until June, can also operate in the heart of defence.

Both Romero and Drăgușin could leave Spurs after this season. Faced with this possibility, Tottenham may consider signing a new centre-back for next season.