Sport Witness

Saturday’s edition of AS has a big feature on Real Madrid’s Erasmus success. The Spanish newspaper explain the club have sent multiple youngsters elsewhere almost like a finishing school.

Making sure they retain low buyback clauses, it enables them to control the player’s future as well as give him a permanent transfer to enable adaptation. All the while, the youngster is motivated to perform and seal a Los Blancos return.

Tottenham Hotspur and their attempt to sign Nico Paz being blocked is seen as a great example. Paz moved to Como in August 2024 for just €6m, with Madrid keeping a €9m buyback clause applicable this summer.

Last season he established himself as one of Serie A’s best youngsters under Cesc Fabregas. That brought interest from Tottenham and there were consistent reports in Italy of a transfer effort.

Nico Paz convinced to snub Tottenham

Real Madrid would have received 50% of the profit from a sale. Alternatively, they could convince the player to wait a year and return for €9m. That would involve snubbing Spurs and an immediately higher salary.

AS explain Tottenham offered a package to Como worth €70m, which is consistent with claims at the time. Real Madrid had to convince him to wait, and he ‘didn’t hesitate’ do so.

Premier League clubs, including Spurs, have been ‘pushing hard’. Nico Paz, however, is determined to have a Real Madrid future.

The 21-year-old is one of a number of players Real Madrid have in a similar situation around Europe.

Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini has made Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin his ‘top target’ for the January transfer window.

That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport. They report that while Roma’s focus is on attacking reinforcements, they also want to improve at the other end of the pitch.

According to their information, Gasperini sees the Romanian centre-back as a ‘top-target’ this month.

Work is now underway to see if Tottenham will agree to a deal. The belief is that Dragusin could leave on loan after returning from a torn cruciate in his right knee.

Roma are one of several Italian clubs looking into signing Dragusin this month. But the fact that Gasperini has made him a top target could now accelerate their interest.

They may have to fight Fiorentina. They were quickly linked at the end of last month when it was made clear Fabio Paratici could be joining the Italian club. He’s already done a deal to send Manor Solomon there from Tottenham and could do the same with Dragusin.

Manor Solomon is ‘hours away’ from leaving Villarreal, returning to Tottenham Hotspur and then being loaned to Fiorentina.

That’s according to El Periodico Mediterraneo, who cover the winger today. They explain why it didn’t work out in Spain for the winger.

He joined Villarreal in the summer transfer window after a successful loan spell at Leeds United last season. But he had struggled to establish himself at the Spanish side in the last few months.

He was never a guaranteed starter for Marcelino. He simply relied on him as a game-changer than anything else. That’s led to an agreement to send him back to Tottenham this month. They’re quickly shipping him out to Fiorentina on loan after that. And according to El Periodico, the deal is ‘hours away’ from being done.

It’s a surprising move but the newspaper explains that really, Solomon’s card had been marked since October 1st. He ‘prioritised his Jewish faith’ over his ‘professional interests’ at that point, refusing to play during Yom Kippur.

From that point, everything seemed to point to his exit, especially as the loan from Tottenham included an option for it to be cancelled.

Now he’s hours away from the deal being concluded, having seemingly failed to impress Marcelino at Villarreal. In fact, he’s already in Italy for a medical.

Gianluca di Marzio provides footage of the Tottenham man today, bedecked in Fiorentina gear after undergoing various medical tests with the Italian side. That’s further evidence he’s now on the verge of finalising his latest exit.

Manor Solomon was full of smiles and waves as he reacted to those waiting for him.

Tottenham have emerged as the latest club to make a concrete move for young left-back Souza, but Santos responded with a firm stance ahead of January.

Reports from Brazil show that Spurs tested the waters and met immediate resistance from the Brazilian side.

Journalist Lucas Musetti reports that Tottenham submitted an official proposal for the 19-year-old left-back in recent days. Santos rejected the approach and replied with a clear demand of €17m, for 70% of the player’s economic rights.

Musetti adds that Tottenham’s offer stayed well below that figure, which makes a January deal highly unlikely.

Santos’ reaction reflects their broader strategy. The club see Souza as a key part of their plans and do not want to weaken the squad mid-season.

Under contract until 2028, the defender became a regular starter towards the end of the season. Internally, the board believe his value can still rise further in 2026.

Tottenham are not the only club to face that position. There were previous approaches from AC Milan and Chelsea, which also failed. In each case, Santos held firm and refused to open negotiations.

However, Tottenham could point to a more immediate first-team pathway, while Chelsea’s earlier plan involved a spell at Strasbourg as part of a longer-term strategy.

For Spurs, the response offers clarity. Santos have set a clear benchmark and signalled that any serious move would require a far higher investment.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Manor Solomon has been on loan at Villarreal since the summer.

The striker has played 358 minutes from 11 matches this season, managing a goal and four assists. His game time has been reduced since October, resulting in exit claims in recent weeks.

On December 15th, El Periódico Mediterráneo reoorted the Tottenham owned player’s camp weren’t ruling out a Villarreal exit in the winter market. Later that month, AS reported he had to make the final decision over leaving the La Liga side.

Friday’s edition of Marca reports the Spanish club aren’t expected to carry out new signings in this window. They add the Yellow Submarine will see a few players leave and Solomon is in this list. It’s claimed the 26-year-old’s loan stay will be cut short so that he can join relegation-battlers Fiorentina.

Another Spanish newspaper, AS, backs up this claim. They explain the Israel international has a clause that allows him to end his stay at Villarreal in January. He has decided to exercise it in order to make a switch to the Serie A side.

The Israel international’s move to Fiorentina is also covered in Italy. Gianluca Di Marzio reports the Spurs man will join La Viola on loan with an option to buy.

Di Marzio claims Solomon will arrive in Italy on Friday, to undergo medical tests and sign a contract with Fiorentina.

Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario has come into question under Thomas Frank this season.

In the loss against Fulham, the goalkeeper was booed by fans after he made a critical error and responded by blaming others. This was followed by the Italian press stating he isn’t entirely happy at Spurs and wants to depart in the summer.

Inter Milan emerged as suitors for the 29-year-old, seeing him as a replacement for Yann Sommer. The Tottenham player has now spoken to Sky Italia about his career and has backed Frank to make a mark in London, despite early issues.

He said – relayed by Gianluca di Marzio: “He places a lot of emphasis on developing human resources and interpersonal relationships with players.”

Speaking further about Frank’s management style, Vicario said: “He creates a close and intimate connection with his players to try to make them feel an integral part of what will later become his football on the pitch.”

Praising the new Tottenham manager, the goalkeeper said: “Before being a coach, I believe Thomas Frank is first-rate as a person.”

Vicario also made it clear that he is enjoying playing Champions League football, which was a personal goal.

“When I moved here, getting there was a goal I set for myself. The music, the vibes that all the stadiums give you are something unique.”

The Italy international showed no signs of being unhappy at Tottenham during the interview. He also described the Europa League title win last season as the best moment of his career.

He sounds fully behind Frank, even if Spurs have had issues this season.

Tottenham Hotspur are holding up Fabio Paratici’s departure to Fiorentina as they demand that his contract be respected.

That’s according to Corriere Fiorentino journalist Ernesto Poesio. He’s provided background on Paratici’s move today via Labaro Viola.

Paratici was heavily linked with a return to Italy earlier this month. Several reports stated that Fiorentina had approached the Tottenham sporting director and that he was keen on returning to his homeland.

The Italian only returned to the club in October of this year after serving an 18-month ban handed down by FIFA. He’s been working alongside Johan Lange ever since, but reports made it clear he was keen to leave and head back to Italy.

All indications were that a deal would be done quickly. Indeed, Fiorentina were hoping he could be in place for the start of the January transfer window to lead their business during a crucial month for them.

Instead, he is yet to leave Tottenham. A report today stated that it could take some time before the proposed move to Fiorentina actually happens. Poesio now explains why, and it’s all to do with Tottenham’s stance.

“Paratici hasn’t arrived yet because he needs to be released,” he said.

“Either Tottenham releases him, or he stays at Tottenham, because Spurs demand that the contract be respected. I hope he doesn’t end up like Godot, who never arrived.

“It’s complicated to understand. He’s not coming because of the urgency Fiorentina has. With every defeat, the situation worsens. Paratici’s idea is to start his journey by working with Vanoli. In the meantime, however, things happen, they lose in Parma, there’s the complicated match against Cremonese.”

Mandela Keita has impressed in midfield for Parma since last season. The 23-year-old is now attracting interest from Tottenham.

He has played over 1100 minutes in Serie A, having featured in 30 games during the 2024/25 campaign.

Journalist Guglielmo Trupo has reported on the Belgian’s situation, claiming Tottenham are watching him closely. The London club aren’t the only Premier League side that is monitoring him right now.

More has been relayed by ParmaToday, who note that Keita won 100% of his tackles against Fiorentina on Saturday. He also won 100% of his aerial duels.It’s believed he can dominate midfielder and has an ability to dictate the tempo from deep.

The outlet go onto claim that scouts from Tottenham were present in the stands for the tie, as Parma won 1-0.

Spurs are likely to have been impressed and the Belgium international’s future can lie in England. ParmaToday also believe that interest from Premier League clubs is likely to grow.

Currently, the Italian side are ‘pampering’ him and trying their best to keep him for as long as they can. Mandela Keita is increasingly proving that he is ready for a big move, and Premier League money would make all the difference.

Inter Milan have been urged to immediately move to sign Guglielmo Vicario from Tottenham Hotspur, by Walter Zenga.

The Inter Milan great is full of praise for the Tottenham number one today in an interview with Tuttosport. His comments have been relayed by Calciomercato.

Inter are believed to be on the hunt for a new, long-term number one in the coming months. The role is currently occupied by Yann Sommer but he’s now 37-years-old and will need to be replaced at some point.

Vicario has quickly been named as the priority option in that hunt. Numerous reports over the last few months have indicated that they’re planning a move in the coming months.

Indeed, the last of those reports this month made it clear that Vicario is determined to leave Tottenham in the near future. That desire is fuelling Inter’s desire and, crucially, opening the door to a potential deal.

Tottenham player lives for football

Whether that happens remains to be seen, but Zenga emphatically believes pushing for the Tottenham goalkeeper is a no-brainer. He coached Vicario early on in his career at Venezia and remains a big fan of him to this day.

“If you ask me about Vicario at Inter, you’re preaching to the choir,” he said.

“I have no doubts and I immediately say yes. We’re talking about a really strong goalkeeper and a decent guy. I would particularly like to see him between the posts for Inter, but the names of Caprile and Carnesecchi would also be equally valid.

“Vic has a great quality: he lives for football and doesn’t use football to live. That’s not insignificant these days, believe me. He has always remained the same guy he was at the beginning: money and success haven’t changed him at all.

“That’s a quality of no small importance. He’s a strong, complete goalkeeper: explosive between the posts. If I played him back then, there must be a reason (laughs).”

Two months ago, Fabio Paratici started his second spell at Tottenham Hotspur as their director of football. He now wants to leave the Premier League side to join Fiorentina.

Ten days ago, claims from Italy stated the 53-year-old has given his approval to the Serie A side. Spurs’ approval is still needed for La Viola to appoint him as their head of football.

Earlier this week, La Nazione reported he wants to terminate his contract at Tottenham to join the Italian club. They also indicated developments should be expected this week with regards to his exit.

Firenze Viola report it’ll ‘take more time’ for the Tottenham man to arrive at Fiorentina.

It’s claimed Paratici is currently in London, where he’s in ongoing negotiations with the Premier League side to terminate his contract. The outlet states it’ll take a few more days and could possibly be delayed further because of Tottenham’s tight schedule.

The report explains that if an agreement isn’t reached before January 4th, ‘everything will be postponed until [January] 10th’.

There’s expectation for Paratici to work on Fiorentina’s transfer business in the winter market. It would be much easier if he can find an agreement with Spurs to secure an exit.

Sources close to Fiorentina had expected the move to be completed last week, even before Christmas. The precise reason for delay hasn’t been made clear.