Sport Witness

Tottenham Hotspur will have one of their midfielders heading into the Africa Cup of Nations with renewed purpose, judging by comments from Mali this week.

According to African Foot United, Yves Bissouma spoke during the official ceremony in which the Malian national team received the country’s flag ahead of the tournament.

The event carries strong symbolism, linking honour, responsibility and expectation. On this occasion, the Tottenham player left no doubts about the squad’s ambitions.

“We dream of bringing this trophy back to Bamako, and nothing and no one will be able to stop us,” Bissouma said. As captain, he took full responsibility for setting the tone. His words reflected a confident and defiant mindset. Mali no longer seem content with the label of serious outsiders at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The tournament also comes at a delicate moment in Bissouma’s club career. He he has recently lost his place in the Premier League side due to a knee injury, which has kept him sidelined since 15 August. And in addition, he has faced several off-pitch controversies, increasing the pressure around him.

Still, those issues did not feature in his speech. Instead, Bissouma focused on unity, maturity and collective responsibility. He stressed that this Malian generation believes it has the quality to go all the way. He also highlighted the importance of support from the nation.

With a squad that blends experience and youth, Mali approach the Africa Cup of Nations with belief rather than caution.

We’ll see if that confidence leads to glory, either for Mali or even for Tottenham.

Earlier this week, L’Interista reported Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario is Inter Milan’s priority target for next summer.

The goalkeeper has come under criticism this season, also being booed by Spurs fans during the loss to Fulham.

Despite questionable form, Inter see Vicario as a replacement for Yann Sommer. L’Interista report the 29-year-old Tottenham player is at the top of the Nerazzurri’s shortlist.

The player’s own stance over his future is playing a key role in the potential transfer. There’s a belief that in recent months, Vicario has built a determination to return to Italy.

He feels that his chapter at Tottenham and in England has concluded. The goalkeeper has been ‘enriched’ by his Premier League experience, and the Europa League title win.

It’s almost presented as him having moved to English football as some sort of finishing school, and now he’s ready to go home. The Italian media never truly believe their footballers can be content elsewhere/

Getting the player from Tottenham is seen as a statement of intent, with Inter unlikely to have problems covering Vicario’s €2.8m wages.

Tottenham are believed to want €25m to sell the Italy international, with the Nerazzurri seeking further negotiations and a figure closer to €20m.

While North London may be firmly split between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, it seems some bonds refused to be broken by it.

Former Arsenal star Thomas Vermaelen has revealed, to Ajax Showtime, that he and Tottenham hero Jan Vertonghen refused to let it get in their way.

Vermaelen has been speaking to the website about his career today. He discussed various parts of his career, including his early days at Ajax.

He was a product of their youth academy, and that mean he spent time playing with Vertonghen for Jong Ajax. They then stepped up to the Ajax first team.

Their careers went separate ways in 2009 when Vermaelen moved to Arsenal. Vertonghen didn’t end up in England until another three years later, when he joined Tottenham in a €12m deal in 2012. He had actually replaced his friend as Ajax’s first choice and captain after his departure.

Their transfers led to a new scenario, though, playing on opposite teams. Not only that, playing for fierce rivals in Arsenal and Tottenham.

They fortunately only came up against each other twice in the North London derby. And it seems that may have helped with maintaining their friendship.

“We didn’t see each other as rivals and awarded each other the best,” he said.

“It’s obviously a very big derby in England, but Jan and I still saw each other off the field. It’s not that I thought, oh, you’re playing at Tottenham now, I don’t like you as much. It lives mainly with the supporters.”

Leeds United appear to be one step ahead of Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur for Sevilla forward Rubén Vargas.

That’s at least according to Orgullo Biri. They report Leeds are working on a proposal worth €20m for the Swiss international. That puts them ahead of Aston Villa and Tottenham, who are only ‘closely monitoring’.

They both value his ‘dribbling skills’ and international experience but have not submitted formal offers as yet. Like Leeds, their interest goes back to earlier this year.

Aston Villa were credited with an interest while Monchi was still their director of football while Tottenham were named as suitors back in September. Both were then said to have sent scouts in a report back in November.

It appears Leeds are at the front of the queue, though. A report three days ago stated that they were preparing a €20m bid and Orgullo Biri are now saying the same. That appears to put them ahead of Aston Villa and Tottenham for the time being.

It’s also created a dilemma for Sevilla. €20m is more than Vargas’ current valuation of €12m and such a sale would provide a much-needed financial boost to strengthen the squad.

But losing Vargas, who is a key player, would also be a significant blow. It would weaken them in the attacking areas. It’s something the Spanish side need to weigh up as Leeds prepare their move.

Earlier this month, InterLive.it reported Inter Milan could offer Davide Frattesi to Tottenham Hotspur as part of a deal for Guglielmo Vicario. They also said Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici is a big fan of the midfielder.

InterLive.it didn’t specify whether the Europa League winners have an interest in Frattesi.

L’Interista now report Tottenham have been keeping a close watch on the 26-year-old for some time.

He’s been limited to 198 minutes from eight league games this season. The player is said to be planning to change clubs in the winter market. The report looks at the possible destinations and Tottenham get a mention.

It’s claimed the Italy international has received interest from several clubs and among these, Juventus and AS Roma stand out.

L’Interista makes it clear it’s their own information. They state the north London club, and Napoli have been added to this list.

The Italian club aren’t against sanctioning Frattesi’s sale in January but have ‘set a clear condition’. The outlet explains the Nerazzurri want over €30m and are unlikely to budge.

For now, a move to Tottenham is a possibility in January. It needs to be seen whether Thomas Frank’s side will meet Inter’s demand for the player admired by Paratici.

Rafael van der Vaart appears to have forgotten he played for Tottenham Hotspur. That’s if his latest comments are anything to go by anyway.

He’s recently been speaking to Ajax Showtime. The interview is largely focused on his frustration with Ajax’s youth team and their apparent lack of fun.

The Dutchman is a regular viewer of his former team’s youth set up, taking time to watch the upcoming talents in the Netherlands as part of his new life as a pundit and analyst.

He retired all the way back in 2018 at the age of 35, admitting that persistent injury issues had stopped him from playing at his previous level.

It ended an 18-year career that saw him come through at Ajax and play for the first team, before spells at Hamburger, Real Madrid, Tottenham and later Real Betis, FC Midtjylland and Esbjerg. He also enjoyed 109 appearances for the Netherlands.

Tottenham fans will remember his two years at the club fondly. He enjoyed a productive two years with them, scoring 27 goals in 77 appearances and becoming a firm fan favourite. The former midfielder, though, appears to have completely forgotten about those happy times.

Ajax Showtime provide his comments today, with the line ‘he doesn’t even mention his time at Tottenham’ when it comes to discussing his career.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my career. And yet there are people who think I didn’t make the most of it,” he said.

“Twelve years at Ajax, stints at Real Madrid, 109 international matches and a World Cup final, scoring around two hundred goals. Then it would be very ungrateful to say: it just didn’t work out… Right?

“You shouldn’t oversimplify things. I’ve always been a fan. That’s how I analyse. That’s why I can get annoyed with Jong Ajax and the youth team. They don’t smile anymore. I come to watch De Toekomst, it’s raining, you’re standing there. Then it seems like we, the parents, are forcing those children onto the pitch.

“Ajax really needs to do something about that. It might be a terrible cliché, but it starts with joy. I made sure that the child within me never disappeared.”

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United may have just been handed a warning over Koln star Said El Mala. He won’t go anywhere without his brother, as Borussia Dortmund learned in 2024.

Sky Germany cover comments from him today, made in an interview with 11 Freunde. In that, explained why he turned down Dortmund a year ago.

El Mala is currently one of the hottest properties in German football, establishing himself as a rising star in the Bundesliga. He’s also been called up to the German national team by Julian Nagelsmann.

Several big clubs are already vying for him. A report yesterday insisted that Manchester United and Tottenham have made contact for a €30-40m deal.

If they are serious, then they need to bear in mind what previously happened to Dortmund. They were keen on El Mala last summer but ended up being turned down by the winger. Why? They didn’t realise his ‘close relationship’ with his brother Malek.

The pair have played at club alongside each other for years, initially transferring to TSV Meerbusch in the summer of 2021, and then to Viktoria Köln in the summer of 2023. Dortmund, though, only wanted Said.

“That was the end of it for me,” he explained in the interview with 11 Freunde. That was something Koln had been aware of, signing both. Malek is currently playing for the reserve team in the Regionalliga. The pair even live together in a shared apartment in the Ehrenfeld district of Cologne.

That’s something Manchester United and Tottenham need to be aware of. If they want to sign El Mala next summer, they may need to bring his brother along too.

Arsenal favourite Nicklas Bendtner has explained why he thinks Thomas Frank is struggling at Tottenham Hotspur.

Frank ended his long spell at Brentford to join Spurs in June. Tottenham have had an up and down time under the Dane’s orders, winning 10 of their 25 matches so far. This includes six league wins and three in the Champions League.

Bendtner, who spent 10 years at Arsenal between 2004 and 2014, spoke to Stolpe Ind about the Tottenham boss. Indkast have relayed his comments.

According to the Arsenal favourite, Spurs haven’t enjoyed a good run this season partly due to injuries and their summer signings failing to regularly impress.

He believes the Europa League winners tried to replicate the Brentford model at the north London club.

“I think the problem is the DNA that was laid out at the beginning. And the way we could see how the Brentford project was brought into Tottenham. The transfers that were made and were super exciting. Xavi Simons, for example. They’ve all fallen through,” he said.

“There is no one who delivers at a particularly high level. At the same time that we have injuries to these top three of their best players, I would say: Kulusevski, Maddison and Solanke. But the way they are losing is what looks really bad.”

Tottenham have two wins in their last eight matches and three in last 11. This includes only one win in the Premier League against Brentford. The ex-Arsenal man has questioned the north London club’s process to appoint Frank.

“I also think they must have had discussions about these things before hiring him,” Bendtner explained.

“Someone must have said: ‘We have this squad, and we can do this. I can help you with this, and I can’t promise you anything, but we have to go this way.’ And then they come out afterwards and stab him in the back. I think it seems poorly handled.”

Spurs are currently 11th in the table. Earlier this month, Danish pundit Niels Christian had warned Frank about his position at Tottenham.

The former Arsenal frontman has used Frank’s work at Brentford to send a message to Spurs.

“He has been instrumental in making Ivan Toney into Ivan Toney. Mbeumo into Mbeumo and our Danish players Jensen, Nørgaard and Damsgaard – implementing them in important roles on the Brentford team. He has done some great things over there,” he added.

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Luka Vuskovic admits he can’t give any guarantees about his future, and a potential longer stay at HSV Hamburg.

Hamburger Abendblatt have the second part of an interview with the defender today. They put fan questions to the Tottenham youngster, with his future still hot on the agenda.

He joined the German side on loan in the summer and hasn’t looked back since. He’s quickly established himself as a key player for the club, impressing week in and week out and earning plenty of admirers in the process.

Tottenham are keeping a close eye on his development. So far there has been no indication they will take him back in January, despite having an option to do so if they suffer injuries.

What happens next summer, remains to be seen. The current loan deal only lasts for this season, and all indications are Tottenham will want him back, particularly if he continues his current development.

That might clash with what Vuskovic wants, though. He’s made it clear that he would like to remain where he is and potentially play with his brother at the German club. His brother is banned until November 2026 due to doping violations.

Tottenham defender clings to sibling dream

The Tottenham defender has already made it clear it would be a dream for him to play together. Now he’s doubled down on that but can’t promise that it will happen, or that he’ll return in future.

“Unfortunately, I can’t promise that, as I would like to end my career at Hajduk Split,” he said when asked if he will play for HSV at the end of his career.

“That’s my hometown club; that’s where it all started. But of course, I would love to play for HSV for several more years.

“As I mentioned, I really hope so. That would be a dream come true,” he added when asked about playing for HSV next season. That’s when his brother’s ban ends. That question is something he’s now being consistently asked.

“Almost every day,” he concluded.

“On the street, while shopping, walking, or in a restaurant. It’s definitely the most frequent question I get asked. But it’s a nice question that I’m always happy to answer.”

Earlier this month, claims from Italy stated Guglielmo Vicario will leave Tottenham Hotspur next summer. It was also explained he plans to return to Italy, where Inter Milan are keen on signing him.

Earlier this week, L’Interista reported the goalkeeper is in pole position to join the Serie A side. They also stated Inter are willing to offer a pay rise to attract him.

A fresh report from L’Interista again states the Tottenham player is the priority target for Inter and provides the latest.

The 29-year-old currently earns €2.9m per year and this won’t be an issue for the Italian club. His contract expires in 2028, and Transfermarkt currently value him at €30m.

It’s claimed Inter could offer €20m to sign the stopper. This may not please Spurs, who are said to be demanding at least €25m. There’s a €5m gap and a compromise would be needed to find an agreement.

L’Interista explains the Nerazzurri’s strategy to try and bridge the €5m gap. They believe the Italy international is in his ‘final phase’ at Spurs and Inter want to take advantage of his ‘English sickness’ to negotiate with Tottenham.

There’s no indication whether Tottenham will agree to lower their price even though the player is looking for an exit.

Meanwhile, Vicario continues to be first choice for Thomas Frank, making 23 starts this season.