Sport Witness

Tottenham Hotspur invested around €60m to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig on August 29th.

The Netherlands international has failed to score and has two assists from 15 matches for Spurs.

The Dutch media have repeatedly pointed out the attacking midfielder’s lack of physicality as a likely flaw. His performances for the Premier League side have also been criticised.

Simons should be in the squad when Tottenham face Paris Saint-Germain, his former club, in the Champions League tomorrow. L’Equipe have looked into the reasons why he has struggled at the north London club.

Multiple mitigations for Tottenham struggles

According to L’Equipe, and their senior journalist Damien Degorre, the Dutchman privately admits he’s been ‘surprised by the intensity’ of matches and even training in England.

Simons arrived at Tottenham days before the window closed, meaning he didn’t do a pre-season with his new club. Privately, L’Equipe report the player believes this has been an issue.

Thomas Frank initially used the 22-year-old on the left wing, where he doesn’t feel comfortable. The Spurs boss has since brought him more centrally, but the initial tactical approach is presented as another negative.

Xavi Simons has been highly rated since being a youngster but has often failed to live up to the hype. During those times, it’s not unusual to see defences put forward like this, and blame shifted.

Tottenham Hotspur earned close to €20m from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s sale to Marseille earlier this year. He’d originally moved on a loan basis, but Tottenham made sure the purchase clause turned into an obligation.

The midfielder has become a regular for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, amassing 48 appearances across all competitions, popping up with eight goals along the way.

Juventus have been been considering a swoop for the Denmark international but have been blown away by Marseille’s demands. Sportmediaset report that 30-year-old is of interest to Juventus, who want to bolster their midfield in January.

There have been discussions between the Italian and French clubs but Marseille want a ‘monstrous fee’ of €60m to sell the Dane.

This is seen as ‘prohibitive’ by Juve, who have subsequently dropped their interest. Talks between the two clubs haven’t gone beyond a simple enquiry because of Marseille’s lofty demands.

Marseille making such a profit on what they paid Tottenham would be sensational, something which is especially true given the player’s age.

The Ligue 1 side clearly don’t want to sell and have managed to fight off Turin attempts.

Tottenham Hotspur are again at a stage where many supporters are doubting the manager.

That was the case for much of last season, where domestic form suggested Ange Postecoglou should be shown the door immediately, but the chance of winning the Europa League paused things.

In the end, the coach managed to secure that trophy with victory over a terrible Manchester United in the final. That, and subsequent Champions League qualification, wasn’t able to save Postecoglou.

Thomas Frank arrived in the summer and there’s doubts already. Heavy defeat to Arsenal won’t have helped, but before that his playing style was being questioned.

Tottenham have had six permanent managers since Tim Sherwood left the club in 2014. Jan Vertonghen played under most of them, as well as Andre Villas Boas.

Ajax are facing Benfica today, so Jan Vertonghen has been speaking to the media. Jose Mourinho is now manager at the Lisbon club, and Vertonghen rates him.

Whilst the Portuguese coach didn’t manage to win anything with Spurs, the former defender believes he’s a winner regardless.

Tottenham Hotspur signed Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain on September 1st, after he failed to secure a move to Juventus.

The striker assisted in Tottenham’s 4-0 Champions League win over FC Copenhagen. That has been his only assist and he’s yet to find the back of the net for Spurs.

The France international has picked up two different injuries at Tottenham. This has seen him already spend 60 days on the sidelines.

Didier Deschamps called him up for November’s matches before a jaw injury forced him to withdraw. The national manager’s decision to include him didn’t go down well with other attackers.

Le Parisien, relayed by Foot01, looks at the 26-year-old’s struggles since joining PSG from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023.

They say he had a mediocre [nine goals and six assists] first season in Paris and struggled last season, when he also sent out on loan to Juve in January. Kolo Muani’s situation has not improved since moving to Tottenham.

A source close to the player insists the challenges and difficulties hasn’t ‘dampened his determination’.

The Tottenham frontman’s ‘close friend’ remains confident he’ll regain his best form again.

“He’s been through so much, whether with Paris or the French national team in the World Cup final. When he rises from the ashes, it’s going to hurt. He’ll never give up,” his close friend said.

Kolo Muani will have an opportunity to prove his worth when Tottenham face PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday. That could be just the opportunity to shine.

Over the past few weeks, multiple claims have covered Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in River Plate’s Lautaro Rivero.

Last month, El Intransigente reported Spurs had sent a scout to Argentina to follow him live in action. He has a €100m clause and River Plate’s initial plan is to refer to his buyout clause.

The same outlet also stated an offer from Tottenham is expected to arrive at some point. On November 2nd, La Razón reported the north London club’s interest in the centre-back worries Atlético Madrid, who are also in the picture.

El Desmarque now provide the latest on Los Rojiblancos, Tottenham and Real Madrid. It’s claimed the La Liga duo are following the 22-year-old closely.

Los Blancos are the latest club to be added to the interested parties list. They are showing interest in the defender, due to Antonio Rüdiger’s possible exit when his contract expires in June.

The report claims Tottenham ‘dream’ of having a partnership between Rivero and Cristian Romero in the heart of their defence. Micky van de Ven and Romero are the first-choice pair currently for Thomas Frank.

Speaking to ElDesmarket, journalist Lucas Gatti says River Plate are open to negotiating Rivero’s sale if they receive a convincing offer.

“He’s already a starter at River Plate under Marcelo Gallardo,” he said.

“He has a contract until December 31, 2028, with a €100m clause, but that’s a symbolic figure, since if an offer comes in that’s interesting for all parties, they’ll sit down and analyse it.”

Thomas Frank took over at Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, succeeding Ange Postecoglou. Spurs had just won the Europa League but their general form, and certainly results, was way below the expected standard.

Tottenham are currently eighth in the Premier League, although they’ve played a game less than most. Should Frank’s side beat Arsenal on Sunday then they’ll climb to an impressive fourth place.

Not all has been well for Frank, though. There’s been early murmurs of discontent from some supporters, who aren’t happy with what they’ve seen on the pitch. A more exciting style is desired, yet it’s still very early into the manager’s spell at the club.

Frank is in the process of speaking to various newspapers to promote his book, and that’s seen him talk to Ekstra Bladet.

The Danish newspaper put it to the Tottenham manager that it wasn’t so long ago he was training children. His career rise has been unusual and impressive, and he was asked about that and any similarities.

Frank replied: “It’s neither something I had dreamed of nor thought about until the end of the journey. The community, the great experiences, the love for the game. These are some of the things that I still take with me and use today as a coach at a high level.”

Tottenham manager not bothered about pressure

Inevitably, he was also asked about the pressure around Tottenham at the moment and some of doubts expressed towards himself.

“I’m completely fine and clear about that,” Frank said. “I spend exactly 2% of my focus on whether I have a short or long leash at Tottenham. I’ve been in this game long enough to know that it’s just about improving the team, performing well and winning,

“First and foremost, I want to build a club that can compete on all parameters, and get it up among the best clubs in England. That’s the plan.

“There are always things we can do better. I have gotten to know the squad, the staff and the club better every day. It just means that there are better and better opportunities to take the next step.”

Rodrigo Bentancur is among a number of players who have spoken recently about the positive impact the new manager has had, and it’s clearly an ongoing process.

Victory over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon would be a huge leap forward. Even a draw away to the Gunners would be a positive result for Thomas Frank.

Emerson Royal has insisted Tottenham Hotspur were determined to keep him when he left for AC Milan.

He’s been speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport about his move to AC Milan in August 2024, and detailed how it was a disaster from day one.

The Brazilian defender joined them from Tottenham a year ago, for a fee of around €15m. He signed a four-year deal at the time, including an option for a further year.

That lasted less than a year, though. This summer saw him return to his native Brazil in a €9m move to Flamengo.

Emerson’s return home came after something of a disastrous year with the Italian side. He found himself under scrutiny from day one, with fans and pundits alike questioning the move.

They had seen him playing at Tottenham, which was marked with inconsistent performances from the get-go. He often earned praise for his work ethic but drew heavy criticism from Tottenham fans for his technical limitations and poor decision making, particularly in attack.

That led to a now infamous song, “he can’t defend, he can’t attack”, which he was subjected to on more than one occasion. That song later followed him to Italy and Milan.

More scrutiny than Ronaldo after Tottenham exit

The defender has now admitted it was a problem, believing that he was doomed at Milan from day one.

“I arrived in Italy with a slightly strange feeling right from the start,” he said.

“From the start, every time I said or did something, I was talked about more than Cristiano Ronaldo… but in a negative way. I felt like I had to always do twice as much to be accepted, and then still not be accepted.

“That video was manipulated and made to look recent when I arrived at Milan, but it was an old video. It dated back to a difficult time we went through with Conte.

“Fans comment on everything, that’s normal. But when I chose to leave Tottenham, the club tried to keep me because I had improved so much. And I had an excellent relationship with everyone.

“I’m someone who doesn’t get hit easily, because I know my worth. But it’s not nice to arrive and feel that wave of hatred without even having stepped onto the pitch and played even a minute.

“I have family and friends: they’re the ones who suffer the most. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant situation. You never want to hear certain things while you’re trying to do your job to the best of your ability, whatever it is.”

Maybe this is a slight twisting of the story to fit how Emerson Royal wants to see his recent history. He was given big opportunities at Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan and failed to shine for either.

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.