Sport Witness

Ademola Lookman has faced a chaotic last few months at Atalanta, and Tottenham are one of the club being linked with a rescue swoop.

Over the past year, the attacker has asked to leave La Dea twice, but he’s not got his desire. Former manager Ivan Juric publicly criticised Lookman some weeks ago. He also had an spat with him on the sidelines during a Champions League tie against Marseille.

The Croatian has now left Atalanta, with Raffaele Palladino coming in as the new manager.

Quotidiano Sportivo note Lookman has now added a reference to the Bergamo club on his Instagram account. He had removed any mention of the club during the summer when he was having his transfer tantrums.

There is uncertainty over whether this a sign of peace but Tottenham are monitoring the scenario. Spurs are looking to bring the Wandsworth born player back to London.

Napoli are expected to provide competition to Tottenham in January, with Galatasaray also interested. Lookman’s current contract at Atalanta runs out in 2027, so 2026 would be La Dea’s last chance of earning a good fee from a sale.

If peace hasn’t broken out, then a January move with an option or obligation to buy looks like a decent bet.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told to not bother with a January attempt to sign Morten Hjulmand from Sporting Club de Portugal.

Record offer out the advice in a brief piece today. They report that Sporting are only interested in additions, not departures in the January transfer window.

According to them it would be perfect for Sporting if they were able to provide the squad with solutions in the winter window. They would also like to ‘secure the main assets’. Hjulmand is one of those assets.

He’s an increasingly hot name on the transfer market. Juventus, Manchester United and Tottenham have all been credited with interest for a while.

But Sporting see him as ‘non-negotiable’ in January. They feel secure in that too as the midfielder has an €80m release clause in his contract. It seems the feeling is that nobody will pay that in January.

The Portuguese club want to keep Hjulmand until the end of the season. At that point there will be a ‘greater openness’ for a deal.

So, if Tottenham show a little patience, they may find it easier to get their man in the long run. They may also be able to secure a much better deal.

Last summer, Tottenham Hotspur showed serious interest in Como’s Nico Paz, but weren’t able to secure his services.

Journalist Gianluca Di Marzio stated in August that the Serie A side rejected multiple offers from Tottenham. In September, Como sporting director Carlalberto Ludi said he was “proud” to have retained Paz amid approaches from Spurs.

Last month, we covered claims from Spain that Paz wasn’t keen on Tottenham’s €70m bid.

Fast forward to November and AS cover Tottenham’s interest and why it won’t be easy for them to sign the 21-year-old.

The Europa League winners are said to be back in the picture for the attacking midfielder despite last summer’s failure. Recent claims from Argentina have reported Inter Milan would be willing to offer €58m for Paz.

AS mention the latest on Tottenham, saying they’ve made contact, and relay claims of Inter interest, they then share their own take.

Real Madrid sold the Argentina international to Como in August 2024. They have secured a buyback clause of €9m for next summer and €10m for 2027. The Spanish giants also retain a 50% sell-on clause.

Despite interest from other clubs, AS claim Los Blancos haven’t ‘lost sight of him, nor have they lost control’. The report states everything points to Real Madrid activating the buyback clause.

Real Madrid’s buyback clause makes it challenging for Tottenham or any other club to sign Paz.

Sweden manager Graham Potter has hinted Dejan Kulusevski is set for a return to Tottenham Hotspur soon.

Fotboll Skanalen cover comments from him today. Sweden have their eye on getting him back for World Cup play-offs in March.

The Tottenham midfielder has missed the entirety of the World Cup qualifiers this season due to a serious knee injury.

Tottenham have remained coy on when he may return from that long-term absence. And that’s put a question mark over whether Kulusevski will be available to aid Sweden’s chances of making the World Cup next summer.

Potter’s side initially take on Ukraine in Path B. They finished bottom of their group but qualified thanks to their Nations League performances.

Getting the Tottenham star back and in the side would be a major boost to their hopes of qualifying. He’s been a key player for several years and sorely missed in this disastrous qualification campaign.

Potential Tottenham Christmas present

It seems Potter has good news on that front too, although he admits it’s all in Tottenham’s hands at this moment in time.

“Dejan is taking steps forward,” he is quoted as saying.

“He was happy with where he is in his rehabilitation. It’s in Tottenham’s hands, and his. But he was feeling good when I last spoke to him and I look forward to seeing him maybe at Christmas or around New Year.

“There is a lot of football to be played until then. Nobody knows for sure what it will look like in March. That is the reality.

“But he is in a good place, and he was happy with his rehabilitation last time we spoke. Then he was ready to take the next step (in rehabilitation). But there is no stress involved. He will do his rehab in a good way and if he does that, I am pretty sure we will see him on the pitch soon.”

Randa Kolo Muani’s move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer has been “catastrophic” and he’s “completely disappeared” at the club.

That’s according to Daniel Riolo and Walid Acherchour, who’ve both been commenting on the Tottenham striker this week. Their comments have been relayed by Tribune Nantais.

Kolo Muani joined Tottenham on loan in the summer transfer window from Paris Saint-Germain. The move came after a successful loan spell at Juventus last season.

But while he seemed to flourish in Italy, he’s barely done anything for Tottenham. At this moment in time, he’s managed eight appearances in all competitions, totally 321 minutes. He’s yet to score and has just one assist to his name.

The loan move is yet to work out, with injuries also playing their part. That’s bad news for Muani, who would have wanted to be playing regularly ahead of the World Cup next summer.

Didier Deschamps has stuck by him in the past but the Tottenham loanee hasn’t featured in any of the last three squads. He was left out in September and missed the October and November internationals through injury.

Tottenham player has ‘completely disappeared’

Whether he can get back in the next break remains to be seen. Riolo and Acherchour can’t see it happening, though.

“Kolo Muani, no, he’s completely disappeared,” said the former. “I don’t see why I would want to see him come back now.”

“Kolo Muani has often been better in France than at club level; we know he’s a Deschamps loyalist,” added Acherchour.

“He has Deschamps’ trust, but his situation at Tottenham is catastrophic. He’s been plagued by one injury after another. For me, Kolo Muani is no longer a number 9. He’s a right winger. And on the right, between Dembélé, Olise, and Akliouche, I’m thinking, “Watch out, Randal!”

Tottenham Hotspur star Dejan Kulusevski underwent surgery after picking up an injury in May. This forced him to miss Spurs’ Europa League win over Manchester United later that month.

The Sweden international has been away from the pitch since then. He’s yet to feature under Thomas Frank, who arrived at the north London club in the summer.

Sweden appointed Graham Potter as Jon Dahl Tomasson’s successor in October. The new manager will be hoping to count on the Tottenham player for the World Cup play-off in March.

Journalist Stefan Thylin, writing in his column for the Swedish football association’s official website, reviews their November performances. He also talked about the World Cup play-off.

The 25-year-old has missed the last three international breaks, where Sweden failed to register a win. They lost four of their six World Cup qualifiers.

Potter was without a few key players for his first two matches with Sweden. The journalist believes the national team will be able to perform much better when the manager has a fully fit squad at his disposal.

This is when he also talked about the impact of Kulusevski’s absence.

“In the play-off, Graham Potter will hopefully be able to field an A-team, with Kulusevski, Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres whole, healthy and in shape, with Anthony Elanga, Lucas Bergvall, Hugo Larsson and Emil Holm available, with a defence that is safe and thus creates the conditions for an effective attack,” he said.

“Wishful thinking? Yes, maybe, but I think Graham Potter can ensure that Sweden starts playing like Sweden again, as a collective, not as disjointed individuals.

“The player I have missed the most this difficult year is Dejan Kulusevski, the creative inspirer, who grew to become a leader on the pitch. Let’s hope he is back in March, and that our defenders stop offering opponents scoring chances.

“We are putting 2025 on the table and assuming that 2026 will be a good new year. It has to be better, right?”

Tottenham striker Richarlison did not play a single minute for Brazil in this international break. That happened for the first time under manager Carlo Ancelotti.

He sat out both games against Senegal and Tunisia, despite being one of only two players – alongside Bruno Guimarães – who had featured in all six previous matches of the Italian’s tenure.

This absence adds weight to a discussion already taking place in Brazil. According to UOL, Ancelotti is still searching for what he calls a “different striker”, someone who can act as a true reference in the box.

Richarlison has historically filled that role, but his current form has weakened his claim. He’s scored only four goals for Spurs this season and has not found the net for Brazil since the 2022 World Cup.

His club form has not helped either, with limited minutes and inconsistent performances at Tottenham.

Ancelotti made it clear before the Tunisia match that the squad lacks a pure number nine. He explained that Brazil may need a forward capable of holding play, acting as a pivot and providing a stronger presence in the penalty area.

“We might need a reference as a striker in some games, in some moments. We have time to assess this and try to find one in the next six months,” he said.

The manager started all four of his attackers – Rodrygo, Estêvão, Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha – but none fits the profile he is after. Richarlison was once the default option for that task, yet the current scenario suggests the competition is open.

The next steps remain unclear, but the Tottenham forward now faces fresh pressure at both club and national-team level to regain his place.

Tottenham Hotspur will not enjoy the latest reports from Uruguay. El País gave Rodrigo Bentancur a harsh 2/10 after the 5-1 defeat to the United States in Tampa.

The midfielder wore the captain’s armband, yet the performance never settled. The outlet says he struggled from the start and failed to bring control to Marcelo Bielsa’s midfield.

The report highlights the second goal. Bentancur lost his marker in the move, which opened space for the finish. Uruguay then collapsed on the right side, and the Tottenham player could not steady the team as the pressure grew.

The match exposed several defensive issues, and his position often left gaps that the hosts exploited with ease.

He did produce a rare positive action after the break. At 60 minutes, he won a one-on-one duel and struck Uruguay’s first attempt of the second half.

The reaction, however, lasted only three minutes. Bentancur went into a high challenge on Berhalter and received a straight red card. He already had a yellow, and the referee showed no hesitation.

The dismissal ended any chance of a late response and increased the criticism at home. Bentancur now returns to Tottenham after a night that created more questions than answers. Spurs will hope he resets quickly, as the next fixtures demand stability rather than headlines.

Tottenham Hotspur scouts are keeping a close eye on Luka Vuskovic’s progress at HSV Hamburg this season.

That’s according to SportBILD, who report that the Croatian international is ‘in talks with Tottenham’ about his future.

The youngster is spending the season with the German side on loan. He joined them late in the summer transfer window after Tottenham finally decided to loan him out for another season.

He’s proven to be a huge hit at the German club. Vuskovic has quickly established himself as a key player and is now making waves on the international stage too.

SportBILD now report that he is ‘in talks with Tottenham’ about his future. Spurs scouts are monitoring his progress throughout this campaign. They know that the interested parties are growing. Borussia Dortmund are keen. Hamburg are even hoping to keep him for another season.

That could be doable as Vuskovic has stated his desire to play alongside his brother Mario. He also plays for HSV but is banned until November 2026. That desire is seen as a potential trump card for HSV’s hopes of keeping him.

Either way, Tottenham are watching and talking to Vuskovic throughout this season. They know they’ve all got a big decision to make next year, when his current loan ends.

Tottenham Hotspur’s potential pursuit of Takefusa Kubo is unlikely to go far unless he pushes for the move. And that ‘seems improbable’ at this point.

That’s according to AS. They cover Kubo today and point to recent comments which hint he’ll be staying at Real Sociedad for the foreseeable future.

The newspaper explains that while there has been much talk about Kubo and a potential bid from Tottenham in January, there’s nothing serious as yet.

They point out that Kubo has a deal with Sociedad until 2029. That includes the €60m release clause which has been mentioned repeatedly. That will need to be paid if he is to go anywhere.

Making a move during the January transfer window is seen as ‘highly unlikely’ unless he specifically requests it. And this moment in time, that ‘seems improbable’.

Their logic for that is recent comments made by Kubo about his situation two weeks ago. During a press conference he said, “I’ve always said I want to be a better player. I only have one goal so far, but that’s okay. When I’m back to full fitness this year, I’ll score goals, provide assists, and at the end of the season, if I haven’t had a great year, you can criticise me.”

In other words, he’s hinted he’ll be at Real Sociedad until the summer and then assess his situation. A move to Tottenham in January seems unlikely in that light.

Of course, thing can always change. But for now, it seems nobody is panicking about Tottenham’s apparent interest.