Sport Witness

Newcastle United and Tottenham have now both entered the Danilo picture, adding fresh competition to a race that has been building quickly around the Botafogo midfielder.

The 24-year-old has been one of the standout players in Brazil this season, and his form continues to drive the story.

He already has strong numbers, is firmly in Brazil’s plans ahead of the World Cup, and has been attracting attention from Europe for weeks. Fulham moved first, and Manchester United have since made an enquiry, but the list is now growing again.

Premier League race getting crowded

New reports from Brazil point to Newcastle and Tottenham as the latest clubs to show interest.

It is worth noting the difference in sourcing. Newcastle’s interest comes via ESPN Brazil, which carries weight, while Tottenham’s link firstly came from a less reliable local journalist. However, ESPN confirmed it on Monday. Still, both names are now in circulation and reflect how widely Danilo is being monitored.

Fulham remain one of the most concrete options, with a structure around €30m (£26m) already outlined. Manchester United have also made contact, viewing Danilo as a potential long-term replacement for Casemiro.

Now Newcastle and Tottenham join the picture, further increasing the Premier League presence around the player.

Newcastle bring financial strength and recent upward momentum, while Tottenham’s mention adds to the sense that top-flight English clubs are circling… That if Tottenham stays at top-flight, of course.

€40m target and World Cup timing

Botafogo’s stance has not changed. The club do not intend to open negotiations before the World Cup and are aiming for a sale around €40m (£34m).

The belief is that Danilo’s value can rise further if he features for Brazil at the tournament. And that approach naturally delays any immediate deal and increases the chances of more clubs entering the race.

Summer race building

Fulham were among the first to move and remain well placed. Manchester United bring a different level of pull. Newcastle add financial strength and momentum. Tottenham’s link, even if less firm, still points in the same direction.

There is now a genuine queue forming in England. And that may actually work in Danilo’s favour.

His priority has been clear – he wants to return to English football and prove himself again after his Nottingham Forest spell. With multiple Premier League clubs now circling, that scenario is becoming more and more realistic.

There will be no shortage of competition if this turns into a full race after the World Cup.

Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi is buying a nightclub in Villarreal, despite an apparent imminent move to Tottenham Hotspur.

El Periódico Mediterráneo report that a group associated with the Bournemouth defender will invest in the property and bring it back to life. and bring it back to life.

A place reborn

The newspaper reports that the previous owners closed down the well‑known nightclub two years ago. New owners have now bought the nightclub.

These new owners have already started preliminary work on the property, painting the exterior mainly, in the hope of reviving it in a few months time.

A company linked to Marcos Senesi has bought the club, located on the western edge of Villarreal’s town centre, and now preparing it for a big reopening.

Reports linked him with a potential move to Villarreal last summer. He was also a potential name for Barcelona this summer. Reports suggest he is now likely to join Tottenham instead

So why he, or at least a company he’s associated with, are buying the nightclub in Villarreal is anyone’s guess. The sellers put the venue up for sale for €800,000. So, it’s no small investment either.

A busy summer ahead

But it seems the Argentine is set for a busy few months. He, of course, is set to leave Bournemouth in the summer on a free transfer.

Reports for the best part of a year have linked him to every major club in Europe. They all seem keen on the 28-year-old thanks to his free-agent status.

But it is Tottenham who have, reportedly, stolen a march. They have outbid their opponents for the defender and, by all accounts, he’ll be heading to London next. That, though, might be dependent on them staying in the Premier League, which is yet to be settled.

In the meantime, Senesi is seemingly getting himself into the nightclub business and reviving one in Villarreal as a starting point.

Barcelona have Tottenham Hotspur‘s Luka Vušković on their target list for the summer.

The Premier League side allowed the centre-back to join Hamburg SV on loan in August, and he’s starred for them this season.

In fact, the Tottenham man has been the standout player for the Bundesliga side, where he’s made 26 appearances.

The centre-back started 25 of them before suffering a setback in April. He regained full fitness and came off the bench in his side’s 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Hamburg lost three matches and conceded nine goals in the 19-year-old’s absence. This should give an idea of his importance to the German club. His performances have caught the attention of several European sides, including Barcelona.

Barcelona approach for Tottenham man

Sky Deutschland report the La Liga winners have set their sights on Luka Vušković, in their efforts to improve the defence.

Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni is the main target for the centre-back position and last week, Sport Witness covered claims from Spain that Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero is their plan B.

It’s unclear where the Croatia international is the pecking order, but the Catalan club have held first talks with his representatives. Agent Pini Zahavi, who also represents both Robert Lewandowski and Hansi Flick, manages the defender.

Hamburg SV have a desire of extending his stay after this season. He has talked about his dream of playing alongside his brother, Mario, who is at the Bundesliga side.

The latter is serving a doping ban until November and extending Luka’s loan stay can help him fulfil his dream next season. However, that won’t be easy considering interest from top clubs.

Spurs future needs sorting

As things stand, Luka Vušković future after this season remains uncertain and is unlikely to be at Hamburg SV.

Last month, the defender said he has a contract at Tottenham Hotspur until 2030 when asked about his future plans.

Vušković’s agent Pini Zahavi insisted a decision on his future will be made at the end of the season. He could push for a transfer if Roberto De Zerbi’s side are relegated.

Spurs have an opportunity to cash in from his sale, but it’s unclear what their plans are from him as of now. There should be more clarity in the coming weeks and months.

Tottenham Hotspur signed João Palhinha from Bayern Munich on loan with a purchase option last summer.

On April 24th, Sport Witness covered claims from Germany of Tottenham’s desire to retain the 30-year-old after this season.

The same source stated the north London club don’t want to pay the €25m clause and plan to negotiate a lower price.

Bayern disappointment with Tottenham man

The Bundesliga winners invested €51m to buy the Portugal international from Fulham in July 2024, a year after missing out on him.

Vincent Kompany didn’t utilise the midfielder regularly in his debut season in Germany. Therefore, Bayern Munich let him join Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan deal.

Absolut Fussball label João Palhinha a ‘flop’ and insist investing €51m was a ‘costly mistake’.

Bayern Munich ‘want to get rid’ of the former Sporting man permanently in the next window. That will lead to a ‘significant loss’ as the Bavarian club won’t be able to recover the fee invested.

Spurs have a purchase option of €30m, which is €5m more than what Sky Deutschland reported in April. It’s unclear whether he will join Roberto De Zerbi’s side permanently and it also depends on their results.

Tottenham are 17th in the table, a point above 18th placed West Ham United, and have three matches in the Premier League. In case of a relegation, the player won’t continue in the English capital.

If Spurs were to avoid the drop, his purchase clause is still unlikely to be activated. De Zerbi’s side know about Bayern Munich’s position and could try and negotiate to lower the price.

For now, it’s unclear whether the two clubs will find an agreement, but what seems certain is that the German champions will suffer a loss from his sale.

Contract, value, stats and agent info

João Palhinha has played 2,688 minutes from 42 matches, managing six goals and three assists for Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie impressed against Aston Villa on Sunday. The left-back’s possible exit from the London club is gaining traction.

Sport Witness have previously covered Juventus’ interest in the left-back, who is seen as a replacement for Andrea Cambiaso.

A deal with Tottenham wasn’t expected to be easy due to the finances involved. But Cambiaso’s exit is one way to possibly strike an agreement to sign the ex-Udinese youngster in the summer.

Now, attempts to sign Udogie could be intensifying largely due to Luciano Spalletti.

Juve manager keen on deal

Calciomercato IT’s Maurizio Sarri now reports on Udogie’s situation, appearing convinced that he remains a Juve target.

In fact, Bianconeri manager Spalletti is keen on signing the full-back and is pushing to bring Udogie to Turin. The Italy international is actually a specific request from the ex-Napoli boss, who signed a long-term deal at Juve some weeks ago.

Evaluations are ongoing and Tottenham can also receive a player in return.

This will be goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, who can act as a replacement for Guglielmo Vicario.

Spalletti has managed Udogie during his time with the Italian national team. It is believed he was left impressed by his skillset and is a fan of his athletic abilities.

Our take: Deal won’t favour Tottenham

Destiny Udogie has had his development stagnated this season and has also injury worries. But when fit, he has generally been good. That was also true on Sunday against the Villans, as his runs down the left were an outlet for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

There is every chance the 23-year-old becomes a key player next season.

Di Gregorio, at the same time, has had a very disappointing campaign for Juve. He seems like a shadow of his past self, having also been criticised during Juve’s 1-1 draw against Hellas Verona at the weekend.

That is why Tottenham could end up at the bad end of a swap deal.

Barcelona have Tottenham Hotspur‘s Cristian Romero on their short list for the summer.

The La Liga winners are prioritising signing Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni but find his €70m price too high.

On April 29th, Sport Witness covered claims from Spain that Tottenham star is the main alternative to Bastoni.

Tottenham player suits Flick

Sport covered the last two reports on Barcelona’s interest in Cristian Romero.

A fresh claim from Sport covers the latest and title says the Tottenham Hotspur defender’s leadership impresses Hansi Flick.

With the report, the newspaper points out Alessandro Bastoni remains the main defensive target.

However, Barca won’t and can’t afford to meet his €70m price.

The Argentina international is still Plan B and has characteristics which match what the German coach is looking for.

Flick recently used Iñigo Martínez, who is now at Al-Nassr, as an example to explain the importance of leadership qualities.

“Last season we had Iñigo Martínez, who was a great leader. We need players who are capable of leading on the pitch,” he said.

“It’s not just about talking about tactics; we need the players to let their performance on the field do the talking. In Champions League matches, we need players who can show us where we need to go.”

The Tottenham star has ‘more than enough pedigree’, having won the World Cup with Argentina and the Europa League with Tottenham.

Romero isn’t the perfect fit and lacks ‘Bastoni’s finesse’ but is still a ‘good fit’ for Barca.

He could leave Roberto De Zerbi’s side for a ‘very good price’. Sport claim his valuation is around €50m, which could drop further if Spurs are relegated from the Premier League.

Our take: Spurs unlikely to offer huge discount

With the 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur climbed out of the relegation zone.

They are now 17th, a point ahead of 18th placed West Ham United and trail 16th placed Nottingham Forest by two points. Roberto De Zerbi’s side have three more matches to avoid a drop to the Championship.

In the event of relegation, Spurs would still stand firm over Cristian Romero’s price as he attracts interest from a few top European clubs.

Feyenoord manager Robin van Persie has hinted that striker Ayase Ueda could be leaving this summer, amid reports of interest from Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Leeds United and Tottenham circling

Ayase Ueda has been impressing in the Netherlands this season, with 25 goals to his name in 29 games in the Eredivisie so far.

The Japanese striker is well on his way to securing the golden boot and this has not gone unnoticed.

Reports in England this week have stated that both Leeds and Tottenham have the striker on their radar. Both clubs are reportedly set to approach the Dutch club for the attacker in the summer.

Those reports have, naturally, made their way to the Netherlands. And the question of the striker’s future was put to Van Persie ahead of the clash with Fortuna Sittard. He was clear about his own preferences but sounded unconvinced that Ueda would stay.

“From my point of view, I hope he is there next year. He is super important for us and within our style of play,” he said.

“He started very well, then had a somewhat weaker period, and we talked about that as well. It is nice to see that he bounced back from that; it also speaks volumes about his character.”

“From his perspective, it might be a good time to make a move, but that is not up to me. I have no idea if that is realistic, but as I said: I hope he stays.”

Leeds or Tottenham?

Given his impressive performances for Feyenoord, Leeds and Tottenham are unlikely to be the only sides in the mix for Ayase Ueda this summer.

He will surely wait to see what options he has available before making any big decisions. After all, Tottenham may not be a Premier League side by the time a transfer can be sorted.

Van Persie’s latest comments certainly sound like a manager who is expecting something to happen either way, if he would prefer that it wasn’t.

Aston Villa and Tottenham have made initial moves for Youssouf Fofana, who is now attracting attention from Everton.

The Frenchman was one of AC Milan’s better players last season. It was a campaign mired in instability but Fofana showed his ability to carry the ball forward.

There was hope he would grow into a better player this season but that hasn’t quite happened. Instead, Fofana has attracted criticism largely for not being the most defensive minded player in midfield.

Sport Witness have covered Milan’s attempts to sell him in the summer. This attracted interest from Aston Villa and Tottenham, who made initial contact for the France international.

Now, Everton are also in the mix to land him.

Everton handed transfer chance

Daniele Longo looks at possible exits from Milan and Fofana is a major candidate to depart.

Allegri, despite seeing the ex-Monaco man struggle, would ideally want to keep him. But he wouldn’t stand against an exit either.

Over €25m si considered acceptable for a permanent deal. Everton would face competition from Galatasaray, Lyon and Marseille, with the valuation for the player clear.

It has been previously mentioned that Fofana wouldn’t be keen on a move to Turkey. He sees England as the best destination and agents are at work to find a new club.

Our take: Bargain deal can prove important

Fofana’s weaknesses as a player have been rather exposed this season. Allegri’s setup relies more on players covering ground, sitting in shape and then breaking on the counter attack. That isn’t Fofana’s strength, who needs the ball at his feet to make an impact.

That is why he needs a change of scenery, desperately. For Everton, €25m can actually be a bargain.

The 27-year-old has played for the national team many times and can start for a lot of European clubs right now. If the opportunity lingers, the Toffees should try to execute a deal especially before the World Cup comes around.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Manor Solomon moved to Fiorentina on loan after a short-spell at Villarreal. There is now a chance of him returning to London in the summer.

The Israeli winger offered promise early on in Florence. He scored two games in a row, finding the net against Napoli and Torino, playing a role in their fight against relegation.

At one point, there was hope he was set to join Fiorentina permanently. Sport Witness extensively covered this, as La Viola were seeking a discount to keep him beyond this season.

Soon, he picked up a thigh injury that ruled him out for a month. Since then, he hasn’t looked the same and has started only once in Serie A.

Permanent deal unlikely

Corriere Fiorentino report Fiorentina are likely to move on from Solomon at the end of the season.

They have an option to buy the winger for €10m and they also have the option to buy Jack Harrison for €7m.

There are growing concerns about the Tottenham winger’s fitness and whether the €10m, or even close to it, is worth it. Fiorentina know that his time in Florence has been better than the spell at Villarreal but they haven’t seen enough to pay €10m.

This is unlikely to be a bargaining position from Fiorentina. That said, Solomon has a contract lasting until 2028, so don’t rule out La Viola asking Tottenham for another loan.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario now has a complete agreement in place with Inter Milan ahead of the summer.

Il Messaggero report that Inter Milan are thinking about life beyond current number one Yann Sommer. His contract expires in June. The plan is for him to bid farewell to the Nerazzurri.

Tottenham goalkeeper in their sights

Inter have long had their eye on Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario as a replacement. The goalkeeper wants to return to Italy this summer.

His entourage are already working to make that happen. And they have not reached a full agreement with Inter on his contract. That’s on the terms of his contract and the figures involved.

However, several details remain to be finalised before a transfer can be done. First, Inter Milan must reach an agreement with Tottenham.

They’re not pushing into that part just yet as they wait to see Tottenham’s fate. Relegation from the Premier League could make the 29-year-old cheaper this summer.

Inter with issues to resolve

Inter Milan also need to resolve the situation with their goalkeeper Josep Martinez. He has performed well in recent weeks, but it remains to be seen if he remains at the club.

If he were to leave, that would push Inter to further push forward their efforts for Guglielmo Vicario. So, Inter need to work out what’s happening on that front.

But the first major hurdle towards the Tottenham goalkeeper has already been cleared. With contract terms agreed with his entourage, the path is clearer than it was previously.

Both parties can now set to work on negotiating with Tottenham. But it seems they will be held off until Spurs’ Premier League future is determined. Inter would not want to pass up the opportunity of getting themselves a bargain by moving for the Italian goalkeeper too early.