Sport Witness

On Monday, BolaVip reported Tottenham are keeping a close eye on Vasco da Gama’s Rayan.

The Brazilian outlet reported Spurs had sent representatives to watch the 19-year-old and have checked with the Brazilian FA about his chances of a senior national team call-up.

More on the talent is now emerging in Italy.

ASRomaLive don’t mention interest from Tottenham but state that the ‘boy wants Europe’.

Porto have offered Vasco da Gama €10m but this has been rejected. There has also been an approach from Dynamo Moscow, who have offered a ‘very high fee’ but Rayan himself has rejected this move.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia are offering big money to the talent but the player is keen on making a mark in the top leagues of Europe.

Tottenham will have to beat competition from AC Milan and AS Roma, who are both monitoring the 19-year-old attacker and want to wait until next summer before taking formal steps.

Rayan is a right winger by trade but can also play upfront and on the left. So far in his career, he has scored 15 times for Vasco da Gama, assisting twice in 83 games.

Vasco da Gama are raising the stakes over the future of Tottenham target Rayan, with Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola revealing the Rio de Janeiro club have set a minimum asking price of €30m (£25.7m) for their young forward.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Nicola explained that Rayan’s recent form has given Vasco confidence to push his valuation upwards.

Among players under 19 worldwide in 2025, only Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has scored more goals. The Spaniard has 14 this season, while Rayan follows with 12.

The teenager recently scored against Flamengo in a draw and opened the scoring against Cruzeiro in a victory, confirming his rise as a decisive player.

According to Nicola, Porto and Zenit Saint Petersburg had already tested Vasco with bids worth €17m (£14.6m), both of which were rejected. Barcelona continue to monitor him closely, as do Tottenham, while Zenit remain among the suitors.

The Brazilian press had also mentioned Chelsea and Brighton as being in the race, as we previously covered, further increasing the level of Premier League competition for his signing.

Vasco, however, intend to hold on to the player at least until the middle of next year as they fight to climb away from the bottom end of the league table.

The teenager’s growing influence on the pitch, combined with his statistical impact alongside Europe’s brightest youngsters, only strengthens Vasco’s stance.

Now any interested club will need to weigh that rising price tag against the clear signs of a player quickly becoming one of the most exciting prospects in South American football.

Chelsea and Brighton have now entered the picture for Vasco da Gama forward Rayan, adding fresh competition for Tottenham in the chase for the teenager.

The claims come from BolaVip. They report the two Premier League clubs are closely following the 18-year-old’s progress in Brazil.

Both sides are said to be monitoring his development after an impressive 2025 campaign. This has seen him establish himself as a starter under Fernando Diniz and further boost his reputation as one of Vasco’s top prospects.

The new interest means Tottenham are no longer alone in the Premier League when it comes to pursuing the striker.

Spurs already sent representatives to Brazil to watch him. They’ve even checked with the Brazilian FA about his chances of a senior national team call-up. That’s a key factor in securing a work permit in England. Now Chelsea and Brighton’s names strengthen the level of competition around him.

With Zenit Saint Petersburg already making a bid and Barcelona previously scouting him as well, the Premier League emergence only intensifies the battle for a player who seems destined for Europe sooner rather than later.

Rayan could hardly have picked a better moment to shine. The Vasco da Gama striker scored the opener in a 2-0 win over Cruzeiro at São Januário. That was a performance delivered in front of Tottenham representatives, Brazilian FA officials and scouts from other European clubs.

As we had already covered, Spurs sent representatives to Brazil to follow the 19-year-old, and their weekend trip brought more than just a live look at his talent. He scored a great header and was a constant threat down the left side.

The same outlet now explains Tottenham’s scouts were not only there to watch him closely, but also sought crucial information from the Brazilian FA about his chances of being called up to the national team under Carlo Ancelotti.

Tottenham already planning work permit process

That step is considered significant. Regular appearances for Seleção can facilitate the work permit process required for non-EU players.

The answer they received was encouraging. Sources suggest there is a “big chance” of Rayan being included in upcoming Brazil squads, given his current form.

The player himself was keen to keep expectations under control when speaking after the match. “About the national team, I leave it to God’s time. I am doing my work here, giving my best. If God wants, one day I will be there,” he told reporters.

He also made clear that his focus remains in Rio for now: “I leave that with my agents. I prefer to focus here at Vasco, on my work, day by day. That I leave to my father and my agents.”

Rayan remains tied to Vasco until 2026 with a €40m (£34.3m) release clause, and the club owns 70% of his rights.

Tottenham, however, appear to be laying the groundwork for a deal. They left Brazil encouraged not only by the player’s performance on the pitch, but also by the signals regarding his international future.

The pressure around the teenager is clearly building. His display in front of both scouts and national team officials showed he is thriving under the spotlight. His next steps will be closely followed in both Rio and London.

Tottenham forward Richarlison has once again been linked with a move away from north London. Speculation in Brazil puts him on the radar of Flamengo and Crystal Palace.

The claims were relayed this week by BolaVip, who stressed that any deal would require between £20m and £25m to convince Spurs.

The report points out that Flamengo’s strong financial position could allow them to compete. However, it also highlights Crystal Palace as a realistic Premier League option for the striker.

That detail is seen as important, since the 28-year-old has spent most of his career in England. He remains a regular call-up under Carlo Ancelotti for Brazil and won’t want to endanger that.

What sparked further debate in Brazil was the reaction of commentator Renato Maurício Prado. Writing on social media, he downplayed the idea of Richarlison moving to Flamengo and said bluntly: “Another one who doesn’t excite me…”

His words divided opinion among supporters. Some argued a player of his calibre would add quality, while others questioned his consistency.

For Flamengo, the move would be a statement of ambition. Yet doubts remain over how much impact he would truly have in their attack.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace’s presence in the story adds a more grounded option. That transfer would keep the forward in the Premier League environment where he is already established.

At this stage, it remains to be seen whether either side will move beyond speculation, but the combination of high costs and mixed public reception means this is a deal that will continue to provoke debate.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Luka Vušković was determined to join Hamburg SV on loan and had to wait until the end of August to complete a temporary move.

The centre-back made his debut in the Bundesliga club’s 5-0 defeat to Bayern Munich earlier this month. He’s starred in their last two matches against FC Heidenheim and Union Berlin.

Vušković scored in the 2-1 win over Heidenheim. The Tottenham man was then the standout player in Hamburg’s goalless draw against Union Berlin.

Sofascore Football took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to report that the defender won 18 duals against Union Berlin. In doing so he became the first player among the top five leagues to achieve that feat in the past five seasons.

Hamburger Morgenpost points that out and states the Croatia international had an ‘outstanding defensive performance’ as he was ‘unstoppable in air’.

To put his overall performance into context, the outlet says the Tottenham loanee had 123 touches and won 23 tackles.

Time for Tottenham excitement over Luka Vušković

Hamburg’s Miro Muheim has heaped praise on Vušković for his latest display and MoPo have relayed his comments.

“He’s a monster, for sure. I don’t think he lost a single header. He’s doing a great job. The boy is a superb footballer and is helping us tremendously,” he said.

Muhiem’s sentiments were echoed by Hamburg goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes.

“When you see Luka, how he always went for headers as a flexible player. That was something you need in games like this. This aerial dominance he has, this presence. It’s simply something that’s good for us,” Daniel Heuer Fernandes explained.

It’s not just his teammates as Union Berlin assistant manager Sebastian Bönig has joined in to highlight Vušković’s ‘outstanding defensive performance’.

“Vušković simply won a lot of headers. That also meant we couldn’t get into our game,” he added.

Perhaps it’s time for Tottenham fans to get excited about Luka Vušković.

Randal Kolo Muani joined Tottenham late in the summer transfer window after weeks of being linked with a return to Juventus.

The move also attracted a war of words between the Italian side and Paris Saint-Germain. Juve made it clear they rejected a chance to sign the Frenchman on favourable terms on deadline day. They ended up with Lois Openda instead.

There was a belief this was Juve’s attempt to save face due to their failure to sign the France international on time.

Further signs of bitterness about the Tottenham signing are now emerging in Turin.

TuttoJuve note Kolo Muani’s fitness troubles, as the 26-year-old has missed the last two Premier League games due to a leg injury.

The stint in London is said to be passing by ‘without tangible progress’, as the outlet also overstate that his performances have been ‘subpar’ this season.

Further, they point out that Kolo Muani’s loan at Tottenham can end in ‘another disappointing season’, clearly spreading negativity when it is still too early to judge the player’s situation.

This shows that there is clearly bitterness in Turin about their failure to land the forward.

Kolo Muani has made just one appearance for Tottenham but there is still a lot of time left for him to impress.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the clubs in the picture to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt, according to Bild.

The attacking midfielder is in his final year of contract and his future still needs to be resolved.

Last week, we covered claims from Germany which explained a move to Tottenham could be attractive for Brandt.

BVB face the risk of losing the 29-year-old as a free agent next summer. There’s been a ‘surprise turnaround’ in his situation as the door opens for a renewal.

At the weekend, he registered two assists in his side’s 5-0 win over Mainz 05. He started because of Serhou Guirassy’s injury. Bild say his decisive performance in this game has been the ‘trigger’ for a possible contract extension.

Last season, the Germany international had mixed performances and often disappeared in matches. Despite this, the Bundesliga club are aware he’s capable of deciding the outcome of a match single handedly.

Bild say Niko Kovač is convinced of Brandt, and if the player were to impress regularly, he can have ‘legitimate hopes of staying’ beyond this season.

It’s claimed the former Bayer Leverkusen man has ‘improved his negotiating position’. Not only through his performances but also by using the interest shown by Tottenham, Newcastle and Aston Villa. Whether that interest was genuine or manufactured is questionable.

Bild state: ‘Now he himself has initiated the application phase for a new contract!’

Earlier this month, Dean Huijsen’s agent Ali Barat told AS clubs like Tottenham, Newcastle United and Liverpool came calling for the defender in the summer.

Barat also revealed Chelsea were the first club to register interest in the centre-back. That happened in January but Bournemouth weren’t interested in a sale.

The 20-year-old’s father, Donny, has spoken to TuttoSport about the defender. His touched on his move to Bournemouth and then the switch to Real Madrid.

Donnt said many clubs, like Tottenham and Newcastle, were interested in Huijsen, who had his eyes firmly set on a move to Los Blancos.

“Many of the big names wanted him”

“A significant development path was in the offing for Dean, who actually played 32 games with 3 goals and 2 assists for the Cherries shirt. He also played 3 more FA Cup matches, totalling 2,800 minutes on the pitch. These excellent performances earned him a contract with the most famous and successful club on the planet.

“Many of the big names in European football wanted him (Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle United, etc.), but he politely declined every offer, waiting for “that” team to arrive. The “team” of his dreams, the biggest and most fascinating: Real Madrid.”

Huijsen’s father also spoke about his Juventus exit and how it came as a shock to him. That was especially because the Italian club offered no reason for his sale to Bournemouth.

“It was a real shock. We couldn’t believe it, we were shocked. It was bad, too bad. A dark day. Terrible. A bolt from the blue. But why? We wondered, unable to understand, the reasons for the forced separation. Dean was wonderful in Turin, he speaks excellent Italian, he was appreciated and well-liked by everyone.

“From the staff to his teammates, from the entire Juventus world to the warehouseman. Giuntoli was categorical and Motta was brutal when they told him he would no longer be part of the project and that he had to leave, that he was no longer allowed to train with the first team.”

So far this season, Huijsen has already become an important part of Real Madrid’s first-team. He has over 500 minutes in all competitions.

The Spain international would have been a more than useful signing for both Tottenham and Newcastle United, considering his high potential.

Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic is certainly something of a character.

The 18-year-old moved from Spurs to HSV Hamburg on loan in the summer. In his last match he scored a goal in a 2-0 victory. Prior to that he missed a chance and then punched the goalpost, later fearing he’d broken fingers.

Vuskovic has now spoken to Bild and there’s a lengthy interview in their Sunday edition.

The German newspaper’s first question was about those fingers, and the Tottenham player replied: “They’re a bit swollen, but they’re fine. Nothing’s broken. I don’t usually react quite so emotionally. But I identify so strongly with this club, and after that missed chance, the post was the one to take the fall. I felt the pain immediately. But when I scored shortly after, I forgot about it.”

On Tottenham or HSV next season: “Let’s see what happens”

The defender was determined to join HSV in the summer.

His brother Mario plays for HSV but is currently serving a doping ban. How the German club and their support have stood by Mario impressed the Vuskovic family. That’s why the Tottenham player has big feelings for HSV.

Asked about that, he said: “I saw how strong my brother is. I wanted to be that too. He helps me a lot with his advice on how to deal with brutal setbacks and downsides. This helps me develop, especially mentally.”

Bild put it to Vuskovic that Tottenham paid €11m for him. That’s because he’s considered one of the best defensive talents on the planet, to that slant he said: “I don’t have an overarching goal. There are so many strong talents. I want to take each year individually and hope that this season will be my best yet. And I want to enjoy football.”

On potential staying beyond his loan, the defender stated: “I just arrived, so that’s not an issue right now. Let’s see what happens next summer.”

Luka Vuskovic has already been away with Croatia and hopes he makes the World Cup squad.