Sport Witness

Tottenham Hotspur’s difficult season continued on Saturday as they lost 2-1 to struggling West Ham. To make matters worse, the relegation battlers scored their winner in injury time, and the clouds following Thomas Frank around became more menacing.

There’s serious doubt over the future of the Danish manager. Tottenham’s terrible home record under his orders hasn’t helped get the crowd on his side, and generally there’s been negativity towards the Dane since not long after he arrived.

Frank’s style may have saw his managerial star rise at Brentford, but it’s not getting the results for Spurs and isn’t exciting supporters either.

One of the brighter notes in recent weeks has been Tottenham’s pursuit of Souza, and the Premier League club securing an agreement with Santos.

Spurs initially made an offer for the 19-year-old at the beginning of January. Santos initially knocked them back for the left-back and an agreement was reached at around €15m.

Souza and his family secured a contractual right to 25% of proceeds from a transfer. Such agreements aren’t unusual in Brazilian football and neither is giving the money up to help a move go through. That’s what the youngster did in the end, and was sent to England with warm wishes.

Tottenham announcement on the way

Since that happened just under a week ago, everything has gone quiet. The Brazilian media consider it a case of just waiting for Tottenham’s announcement.

Souza himself has now sent a goodbye message to the Brazilian club. Globo Esporte present it as: “After ten years defending this badge, the time has come to face a new challenge. The last year was intense, full of growth and overcoming obstacles, but even in the difficult moments, I felt the affection and support of the Santos fans.”

Tottenham can announce the transfer at a time of their choosing.

AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is reportedly a target for Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Two months ago, the Spanish media linked him to Athletic Club Bilbao.

Saturday’s edition of Marca has published a detailed interview with the Bournemouth boss.

They specifically point out about reports linking him to Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea. The latter may not be an option as they replaced Enzo Maresca with Liam Rosenior earlier this month.

Tottenham appointed Thomas Frank as their manager for this season. Spurs have seven wins from 21 league matches and are now 14th in the table. If things don’t improve, the Dane’s position at the north London club could be in danger.

Manchester United, on the other hand, have parted ways with Ruben Amorim. They have already appointed Michael Carrick as head coach until the end of this season.

The Red Devils are searching for a new manager, and recent claims have mentioned the Bournemouth coach as an option.

Andoni Iraola asked about Tottenham and Manchester United

Iraola is in his final six months of contract at the Vitality Stadium. Marca asked him about his future plans, and specifically asked about Tottenham and Manchester United.

“I’m very happy at Bournemouth, I’ve always said that,” he said.

“For managers, the contract isn’t that important. I believe that trust should be renewed every year. If you’re happy with me and I’m happy with you, why not stay for another year?”

“I wouldn’t want to stay somewhere simply because I have a signed contract. Once we achieve our objective, we’ll meet and see how to approach the next season and whether or not to continue. That’s what I’m thinking about, but staying here is a good option.”

Under Iraola, the Cherries have managed to get results against the top teams on several occasions. The Spanish newspaper are curious on how he achieved it.

Iraola explained: “It’s not just about how you want to play. You depend on the opponent, and usually, the teams that consider themselves better accept the challenge of more open matches, and we don’t mind that.”

Marca asked the manager how he ‘convinces players to repeat so many high-intensity efforts’.

Rock & Roll football from Bournemouth manager

He added: “They have to get used to living like this every day. Training and playing like this to get into the rhythm.

“All our teams have welcomed it because, at the end of the day, we produce good results offensively. We score goals, we create chances… and when players see that there’s a reward for that work, they usually buy into it.”

The Spanish newspaper put it to Iraola that his style has been dubbed ‘rock & roll football’, to which he said: “Here they also call it organised chaos. I understand what they mean, and in some ways, I see myself reflected in it. I always say that I’d like my teams to be good, but if they’re also entertaining, all the better.”

For Andoni Iraola to give Marca this interview right now, talk up his attacking brand of football, and be specifically asked about potential jobs, feels a little more planned than run of the mill interviews.

John Heitinga just can’t catch a break in the Netherlands. Even when he’s being praised, there’s still a snipe involved. And it’s the same with his move to Tottenham Hotspur this week.

Voetbal Primeur cover comments from Robert Maaskant today. He was discussing Heitinga’s move to Tottenham on ESPN’s Tekengeld (Signing Money).

Heitinga returned to England yesterday, signing a deal with Tottenham to become Thomas Frank’s new assistant manager. The return to the Premier League comes just a few months after he was sacked by Ajax.

The Dutchman came in for heavy criticism during his time at the club after joining them last summer. He had left an assistant role at Liverpool, where he was a key part of Arne Slot’s title winning set-up last year, to take the position.

It was a second shot at the role for him after a previous spell as caretaker manager failed to see him earn the role full-time. Now he’s returned to England, with his agent insisting that the decision has been carefully thought through.

He spoke out about the move yesterday and hit back at his client’s critics in the Netherlands too. He insisted that Heitinga was somewhat disrespected in his home country, which does not appear to be the case in England. His roles at Liverpool and now Tottenham are testament to that.

Tottenham coach gets a unnecessary swipe

That doesn’t stop the snipes from coming, though. Maaskant is the latest to send them, even if he’s praising the new Tottenham coach.

“They are also managers who don’t succeed,” he said.

“Pepijn Lijnders is a prime example. And apparently John Heitinga is too. But then you can still perform exceptionally well as an assistant.

“It requires something completely different. It’s a truly different role. It’s striking that both Lijnders and Heitinga are returning to a different club than where they were previously in England. Rumour has it that they have certain qualities.”

The Dutch will never not drag their own down when given the opportunity, much like many closer to home.

Johnny Heitinga’s agent has revealed his delight as his client has signed on to be assistant manager at Tottenham Hotspur.

De Telegraaf cover comments from him today. He insists that Heitinga’s return to London is a well informed one.

The former Ajax boss has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Tottenham to become Thomas Frank’s assistant manager. The move comes just over two months after Ajax sacked him.

It marks a return to an assistant role for Heitinga after he stepped away from the same position at Liverpool in the summer. He had been a key part of Arne Slot’s backroom team last season when they won the Premier League title.

He has, reportedly, been sorely missed at Anfield since his departure. Indeed, there have been calls for him to return when Liverpool have struggled this season.

Instead, he is now heading to London, where he previously worked with West Ham under David Moyes. Now it’s Tottenham, where he’ll work alongside under-fire Thomas Frank.

Tottenham move explained by agent

The move has come about earlier than many would have expected given his departure from Ajax. But his agent, Rob Jansen, insists he could have moved sooner.

“In England, John is highly regarded, has a fantastic reputation, and is seen as one of the most talented managers of the moment,” he said.

“This new job seems to be coming quickly, but it could have happened much sooner.

“Just like after the first time he was sent away from Ajax, there was enormous interest in John. This time, too, there was almost immediate concrete interest. And one of the options was Tottenham Hotspur. So, for me, this move is not unexpected at all.”

He is also insistent that the move to Tottenham is not just his client jumping in at the first opportunity presented to him.

Pitch key for Johnny Heitinga

“Football is one big risk. But you either run away from that, or you don’t,” he added.

“John has listened to Tottenham Hotspur’s story and spoken to everyone who matters. He’s become convinced and knows what he’s getting into.

“Frank did well at Brentford and was given the opportunity at Tottenham Hotspur. The fact that he ended up with Heitinga says a lot about the esteem in which John is held in England. Perhaps the Netherlands has a completely wrong image of him.”

Heitinga has had something of a crazy year. Almost a year ago to the day he was still at Liverpool and being linked with the managerial role at West Brom.

Then he left the Reds, took over at Ajax, became a victim of the chaos at the club, and has now returned to English football with Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur’s plans to move Alejo Véliz to the City Football Group may not be as straightforward as first thought, despite an £8.5m (€10m) agreement already being in place with Bahia.

Fresh reporting from Argentina now suggests Spurs no longer have the contractual leverage to act quickly.

According to Argentine journalist Enrique Genovar, the recall clause included in Véliz’s loan only applied under specific conditions. Tottenham could bring him back early only if the striker played fewer than 50% of Rosario Central’s matches in the previous semester. That wasn’t the case. As a result, the clause has expired.

Guillermo Ferretti, another local journalist, backs up the same reading of the contract and makes the situation even clearer. Even with Bahia’s offer agreed, Tottenham cannot simply cut the loan short. Under the current terms, Véliz would remain at Rosario Central until June 30th.

A more detailed breakdown from Enrique Genovar in newspaper El Ciudadano reinforces that position. The story explains that Véliz can only leave during this window if Rosario Central give their approval. Without that green light, the deal stalls, regardless of the agreement reached by Tottenham elsewhere.

There is, however, one possible twist.

Tottenham deal rests on Véliz’s intentions

If Véliz personally decides he wants to leave now, Rosario Central would then need to negotiate compensation with Tottenham. That would open a new round of talks, rather than a clean loan termination.

In short, Tottenham may have a deal lined up inside the City Football Group, but they may not control the timing. Rosario Central now sit firmly in the middle, and the player’s own stance could yet shape what happens next.

Given the potential transfer fee would send around £8.5m to Spurs, there’s not a great deal to play with should Rosario Central want meaty compensation.

The power now rests with the player, because if he doesn’t fancy the move then it’s going to be impossible to get it off the ground.

Tottenham Hotspur’s talks with the City Football Group over Alejo Véliz have now entered a clearer financial stage, following new reports from South America.

We have previously covered that Bahia have reached an agreement in principle with Spurs for a permanent deal. Now Argentine journalist Germán García Grova reports the fee involved is around £8.5m (€10m).

According to his information, Véliz is currently on loan at Rosario Central until June. However, Tottenham want to cut that loan short in order to sell him to the Brazilian club during this window. The striker has not yet commented publicly on the situation.

Further reporting from local insider Alejo Gerbaudo supports the existence of an agreement between Tottenham and Bahia at the same valuation. However, his update adds an important complication.

Véliz reportedly wants to stay at Rosario Central to play in the Copa Libertadores. Because of that, he is prepared to push for his wish, which could slow down the move and affect the timeline.

Tottenham more inclined to cash in

From Tottenham’s point of view, this might not be good news. The striker returned to Rosario Central last summer after disappointing loan spells in Spain. So at this stage, Spurs appear more inclined to cash in than to bring him back into their plans.

In Brazil, Globo Esporte confirmed the negotiations and provided broader context around Bahia’s interest. This is not the first time the Brazilian club have tried to sign Véliz.

In 2022, reports in Argentina claimed Bahia were willing to pay around £2.7m (€3m) for 85% of his economic rights. At the time, the forward was 19 years old and seen as one of Argentina’s standout prospects. Now they’re having another chance to sign the Tottenham player.

We’ll see if Véliz accepts a move into the City Football Group structure now, or prioritises continental football in Argentina.

Manchester City owners City Football Group [CFG] are keen on adding Tottenham Hotspur’s Alejo Véliz to their stable.

That’s according to Argentine journalist César Luis Merlo, who reports this in his column for UOL.

Earlier this month, claims from Brazil reported interest from Flamengo. Now it’s Bahia, owned by CFG, which oversees the Manchester City stable, who want to sign the Tottenham player on a permanent transfer in the winter market.

Spurs signed the Argentine from Rosario Central in August 2022. He struggled in his first few months at the north London club, who sent him on loan to Sevilla and Espanyol in the next 18 months.

The 22-year-old wasn’t able to impress regularly in Spain and decided to return to Rosario Central in July. The striker has scored five goals and contributed one assist from 16 matches for the Argentine club this season.

Merlo claims Bahia have made an offer to sign the Spurs owned player. That offer is ‘quite high’, without a figure being mentioned. There’s an ‘agreement in principle’ with Thomas Frank’s side.

Tottenham will have to cut short Véliz’s stay before sanctioning his move to Brazil. The journalist claims this should happen in the coming days. He hasn’t specified whether the player is open to a move.

Tottenham expected to agree transfer with Manchester City group

TyC Sports relay UOL’s claim and provide their take on the possibility of Rosario Central losing Véliz in January. The latest development has come as a ‘complete surprise’.

According to them, Spurs have an option to recall him in this window and are likely to exercise it.

Véliz trained with the rest of the squad on Tuesday. Rosario Central have a friendly against Almirante Brown today. Therefore, TyC Sports report ‘Wednesday is key’ to find out whether manager Jorge Almirón will rest the attacker or include him in the squad.

It’s likely to be the former as there’s belief Véliz will end up joining the CFG, and be part of the Manchester City group of clubs.

Tottenham could wait until the end of the January transfer window to decide on Radu Dragusin’s potential move to AS Roma.

That’s according to Tuttomercatoweb. They report that while a deal is there to be done, Tottenham will delay things.

A report earlier today indicated that Dragusin is on the verge of leaving Tottenham. He has already reached an agreement on personal terms with Roma to join them. The Romanian was even believed to have put his foot down over the transfer.

This came after the defender’s agent dismissed a move to Fiorentina. La Viola had come forward before Roma, but they’re in the relegation zone and their chances of survival are questionable to say the least.

Dragusin isn’t keen on dropping into such a scenario and it was made clear he would rather move closer to the top of Serie A. That’s when Roma appeared, and pushed quickly for a move in recent days.

All that separated the two clubs was €5m.

TMW back this up somewhat, reporting that the deal has been put in ‘pending’. It is yet to be finalised and the indications are that it may only be done at the end of the window.

Roma have offered a loan with an option to buy included set at €25m. There is no guarantee of the permanent transfer, it is only an option.

Tottenham press the pause button

Tottenham, for their part, would prefer to sell and are waiting for a more attractive offer to arrive. They’ll only consider the loan deal at the end of the window if better offers haven’t arrived by that point.

That’s no surprise, but may annoy Dragusin’s agent, who said yesterday he expected a quick response from Tottenham. He’s got the response, but it’s unlikely to be the one he was waiting for.

All on pause until Roma offer a better deal.

AS Roma have made advances in their ongoing pursuit to sign Aston Villa’s Donyell Malen in the winter market.

On Monday, Corriere della Sera reported the Italian club have agreed a deal in principle with Unai Emery’s side. They aim to sign the forward on loan with an option to buy.

Earlier today, Gazzetta dello Sport backed up and explained Aston Villa have given the green light to this operation. Roma have agreed to pay €1.5m loan fee and the option to buy is around €20-21m.

The Serie A side have been in talks with the 26-year-old over personal terms. He is yet to give his approval while Atlético Madrid have now stepped in to sign him, perhaps with an assist from Tottenham Hotspur.

Gianluca Di Marzio reports Diego Simeone’s side have the Netherlands international as the main target to replace Atalanta bound Giacomo Raspadori.

Los Rojiblancos will receive €40m from Conor Gallagher’s impending sale to Tottenham Hotspur. Aston Villa had wanted an initial loan, and the quick money from Thomas Frank’s side was preferred.

With these funds from Spurs, Atlético now seem to be focusing on 26-year-old Malen.

Aston Villa player isn’t nailed on for Roma yet

Di Marzio reports Atlético are ‘working to sign’ the Dutchman from Aston Villa and beat Roma and other interested parties in the process. As well as the Giallorossi, Napoli have shown interest in the attacker.

Emery’s side have to find a new agreement with Atlético for the move to go through. The player’s approval is also needed.

Aston Villa were keen on signing Gallagher before Tottenham took the lead. It’s not clear whether this operation would impact the Madrid club’s chances of being successful in their efforts to sign Malen.

The likeliest stance is that Villa see it as a way to potentially get more money. And an indirect bonus from losing out on Gallagher to Tottenham.

At this moment in time, Atlético’s interest in Malen hasn’t been reported in the Spanish or the Dutch press.

He’s managed seven goals and two assists from 29 matches for the Villans this season.

Tottenham Hotspur are in the process of completing the signing of Santos’ Souza in the winter market.

The left-back wasn’t in the Santos squad to face Novorizontino last Saturday. His camp had asked for him to be excused after Tottenham raised their offer from €10m to €15m. That amount was enough for Santos and endangering the transfer wasn’t a step anyone was prepared to take.

After that match, the Brazilian club’s manager, Juan Pablo Vojvoda, said the move to London was well on track.

Santos made a late effort to block the 19-year-old’s move to Tottenham by offering him an improved contract. However, he turned it down to join Thomas Frank’s side, and the effort may have simply been a show for Santos fans.

On Monday, AS journalist Eduardo Burgos reported the fullback will travel to London after Tottenham reached a full agreement over the weekend.

UOL now report the Brazilian will travel today to complete his move to Tottenham.

They state the Premier League side’s project convinced him to make an effort to secure a move. Therefore, he has given up more than 10% of his rights. Diário do Peixe reported yesterday that the figure is 25%, while Santos hold the remaining 75%.

The cost of the deal is R$ 90m [around €15m] and Souza gave up R$ 11.8m [€1.9m] to switch to Tottenham.

Santos haven’t announced his exit yet but behind the scenes, it’s ‘already considered as a certainty’.

Tottenham announcement on the way

RTI Esporte also report the Europa League winners should announce his arrival shortly. They state he made a trip to London and Spurs will present him shortly.

According to RTI, Souza gave up 12.5% of his rights. This is a different figure for the 25% reported previously.

Frank’s side are close to confirming Souza’s arrival while Santos have decided not to bring in a replacement. The announcement should be on the way, although Tottenham may decide to wait and do a double reveal with Conor Gallagher.