Sport Witness

Tottenham Hotspur are keeping a close watch on Luka Vušković’s situation at Hamburg SV.

The Croatia international has been on loan the Bundesliga side since last summer and done remarkably well.

However, he’s made only one appearance since the last international break, against FC Augsburg on April 4th. The Tottenham man suffered an injury in training and is yet to return to the pitch.

The timeline of the media coverage of his injury is as follows:

On April 15th, Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin confirmed ‘intensive treatment’ for the defender.

Five days later, Sport Witness covered claims from Germany of a severe damage to his knee.

Last Wednesday, Hamburg sporting director Claus Costa said there’s optimism he’ll play again this season.

On Monday, Vušković underwent more tests to find out the latest situation on his injury.

Two days later, we relayed news that Spurs doctors need to give the green light for his return to training.

On Thursday, the Croatian media reported he should join training from yesterday as he ‘just finished his recovery’.

Tottenham man’s return boost

Hamburger Abendblatt back up the Croatian claim of Luka Vušković returning to training.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side have the final say on when he can train and return to the pitch.

The north London club’s doctors have given the Croatian permission to train again with Hamburg SV. On Thursday, the Tottenham Hotspur owned player completed full training with rest of his teammates.

Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin confirmed Spurs medical staff are in constant contact with their German counterparts and made a decision to let him return to training.

When asked about it, he said: “The fact that he’s back in training suggests everyone’s on the same page.”

The German club lost all three matches in the young defender’s absence, conceding nine goals. Therefore, his return is a massive boost.

However, it’s unclear whether Tottenham gave the green light for the Croatian to play a match.

“Luka is pain-free, but he was out for quite a while. We don’t want to make any risky decisions, but rather find a smart solution,” Polzin explained.

Luka Vušković is important in both defence and attack. His return is crucial for HSV’s survival in the Bundesliga.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the clubs keen on signing AFC Bournemouth star Marcos Senesi.

The Argentina international’s contract runs untils June, and his future is set to be away from Bournemouth.

On April 9th, Sport Witness covered claims from Italy that Tottenham and Aston Villa are preparing to make offers.

Later that month, we relayed news of the Premier League duo’s strong push to sign the Bournemouth player.

Earlier this week, the centre-back made it clear that he hasn’t agreed a deal with another club yet. He also left the door open to joining another Premier League or moving to a different league.

“I don’t have a league preference. Obviously, I like playing in the Premier League; I enjoy the competition, but I’m not ruling out playing in another league either. I told my agent to let me know when there’s something very clear and concrete,” he said.

Tottenham already made advances

Journalist Mirko Di Natale took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to cover the latest on both Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.

Marcos Senesi’s contract situation has seen the Serie A side make an attempt to try and sign him for free.

Juventus have taken action and also made a contract offer until 2030. The journalist adds the figures, which aren’t specified, are ‘approaching those of Tottenham’.

In other words, Spurs have already made an offer, and the Old Lady are getting closer to it.

It’s now down to the AFC Bournemouth centre-back to decide whether to pick Roberto De Zerbi’s side, Juventus or another club in the summer. He certainly won’t be short of options.

Spurs PL stay key

Marcos Senesi is unlikely to consider a move to Tottenham Hotspur if drop out of the Premier League.

Spurs are now 18th in the table, two points behind 17th placed West Ham United, and have four matches to avoid relegation.

The South American played 3,005 minutes from 35 matches for Bournemouth this season. He may prefer to sort out his future before the start of World Cup on June 11th.

Tottenham Hotspur‘s Radu Drăgușin is one of the likeliest to leave the Premier League club this summer.

Earlier this week, the Romania international’s agent, Florin Manea, said the defender is focusing on saving Tottenham from relegation to the Championship.

He explained no talks had been held with Spurs or any other club and that he’d soon travel to London to meet his client.

The centre-back suffered a serious injury in January 2025 and only returned in December. He’s so far played 581 minutes from 10 matches for the Premier League side.

Drăgușin’s league stats are as follows:

Appearances: 9

Starts: 5

Total minutes played: 529

Minutes per game: 59

Interceptions per game: 1.8

Tackles per game: 0.6

Recoveries per game: 1.6

Clearances per game: 4.8

Blocked shots per game: 0.9

Duels won per game: 2.7

The defender played only a minute since Roberto De Zerbi took charge on March 31st as the manager favoured Kevin Danso ahead of him in Cristian Romero’s absence due to an injury.

RB Leipzig want Tottenham player

Despite Florin Manea’s comments earlier this week, Fanatik now state Radu Drăgușin is ‘closer and closer’ to leaving Spurs in the next window.

Regardless of his limited playing time at the north London club this year, the defender has again attracted interest from RB Leipzig. They are third in the table, five points ahead of fourth placed VfB Stuttgart and are likely to qualify for the Champions League.

The Bundesliga side want the Tottenham Hotspur player and another defender for next season and have set a €40m budget. Leipzig could make an offer to the Premier League side, who want €20m for the former Juventus man.

Fanatik report Manea recently visited Leipzi’sg headquarters, to find out more about the club and to hold talks. The agent watched them in action against Union Berlin and was pleased with what he saw.

Drăgușin has given his consent to the transfer.

Our take: Manea pushing interest

Fanatik appear to have obtained this information from Florin Manea, days after he talked down transfer talks. The details of his trip to Leipzig haven’t been leaked to the German press yet.

Manea is well aware that any big Radu Drăgușin story in Romania will be covered elsewhere. Therefore, the Tottenham player’s suitors in Italy will be alerted to Leipzig trying again.

Tottenham Hotspur‘s Luka Vušković has been on loan at Hamburg SV since last summer and has starred in Germany.

The centre-back has been an integral part of the Bundesliga side’s defence and last made an appearance of April 4th.

He has been on the sidelines with a knee injury since then, generating concern both for Hamburg and Tottenham.

Here’s a timeline of media coverage on the Croatia international’s injury.

On April 15th, Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin confirmed ‘intensive treatment’ for the defender.

Five days later, Sport Witness covered claims from Germany of a severe damage to his knee.

Last Wednesday, Hamburg sporting director Claus Costa said there’s optimism he’ll play again this season.

On Monday, Vušković underwent more tests to find out the latest situation on his injury.

Two days later, we relayed news that Spurs doctors need to give the green light for his return to training.

Updates from Croatia on Tottenham man’s injury

Sportske Novosti are puzzled and seem disappointed with the German media’s coverage of Luka Vušković’s injury.

The outlet state: ‘The German media wrote all sorts of things, it’s hard to say why, there was even mention of a serious knee injury, but that didn’t happen.’

He did have a problem with his knee and took advantage of this break to not only recover from the setback but also refresh himself.

They have found out from their own sources the Tottenham Hotspur owned player is ‘now healthy’ and has ‘just finished his recovery’.

The 19-year-old is focusing on returning to full fitness, after missing out on training and matches in the past few weeks. He was on the pitch on both Tuesday and Wednesday but trained alone.

Vušković should join his teammates in training on Thursday. Hamburg boss Merlin Polzin will have to whether to consider him for the weekend clash Eintracht Frankfurt.

What next for Spurs owned player

Sportske Novosti make no mention of Tottenham Hotspur’s approval for the defender to train or play for Hamburg SV.

If Spurs do have a say and give the green light, Luka Vušković could return this weekend or against SC Freiburg on May 10th.

Meanwhile, Roberto De Zerbi’s side have to make a decision on his future in the summer. It would be away from the Premier League side if they were to drop to the Championship.

Youssouf Fofana hasn’t had a great season at AC Milan but the Frenchman continues to have admirers in Aston Villa and Tottenham.

The midfielder joined the Rossoneri from Monaco for a fee of €25m in 2024. Last season, he seemed worth the money, doing quite well in a campaign which was full of instability for Milan.

Under Max Allegri in the ongoing season, Fofana seems like a shadow of himself.

He’s played 32 times in all competitions, also contributing to six goals but he has faced quite a bit of criticism too. Defensive problems have been the main cause for concern, with the player clearly not fit for the Italian’s system.

Earlier this week, Sport Witness covered claims about West Ham interest in the midfielder. There was a certainty he will depart Milan.

Now, it is Tottenham and Aston Villa who are being pushed.

Offers already on the table

Gazzetta dello Sport report AC Milan will much redesign their midfield next season. They are set to move away from Fofana and are looking for the right offer to sell him in the summer.

There is interest from Galatasaray and Fenerbahce but the France international doesn’t want to move to Turkey.

He appears keen on a move to the Premier League, especially as Aston Villa and Tottenham have already made offers to his entourage. The London club’s move entirely depends on their survival in the Premier League.

The report indicates an agreement with the player is unlikely to be a problem. It will all come down to how much the two clubs end up paying Milan.

As of now, Allegri’s side do not believe Fofana’s value has reduced from when they signed him. As a result, they are expected to demand around €25m.

Our take: Deal likely to be straightforward

Fofana needs to reinvigorate his career and that can only happen at a new club. Allegri, as of now, seems set to stay and the Frenchman is struggling with the defensive demands of his approach.

The right move to England can help Fofana quite a bit. Tottenham are in need of midfield additions who add dynamism to the heart of the park. The ex-Monaco player is likely to play at the World Cup and this can lead to his value escalating further.

That is why Spurs and Aston Villa should move early for the 27-year-old, who will surely be keen. Meeting Milan’s demands will also not be difficult.

Tottenham Hotspur are in control of Luka Vušković’s injury situation at Hamburg SV.

Last summer, Tottenham let the Croatia international join the Bundesliga side on loan.

The move has gone well for the centre-back as he’s established himself at Hamburg and his performances have attracted Europe-wide attention. There’s already been claims of Barcelona and Bayern Munich interest.

Vušković has made only one appearance since returning from the March international break. The 19-year-old picked up an injury in training, forcing him to miss the last three matches for the German club.

The Tottenham owned player underwent intensive treatment as he’s yet to regain fitness.

Last week, Hamburg director Claus Costa explained why the recovery is taking time.

He said: “A knee sprain or contusion causes internal bleeding. This makes it difficult to control the knee precisely and correctly. That’s something that takes time.”

On Monday, Sport Witness relayed news the defender underwent further tests to find out more about his injury situation.

Tottenham want to avoid risks

Hamburger Abendblatt now cover the latest on the Croatia international’s injury and his potential return.

He hasn’t trained for three weeks and initially, there were talks of knee contusion and then about an internal bleeding in his knee.

The newspaper got in touch with Luka Vušković’s camp to get an update on his situation.

A source close to the defender revealed he needs Tottenham Hotspur’s permission to even return to training. Hamburg SV initially denied that.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side want to avoid risk of a serious setback. This would jeopardise a potential big sale after this season or him playing for Spurs.

As things stand, Vušković is unlikely to be fit on time to face Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend. After that, Hamburg have two more matches this season.

Bergedorfer Zeitung report the Spurs man worked with rehabilitation coach Sebastian Capel on Tuesday. The newspaper also relay comments from Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin.

“First of all, this is really good: sunshine, Luka is here. Wonderful. It gives me a good feeling that the pain has subsided,” he said.

Barcelona are already looking at Tottenham Hotspur for potential targets for the summer.

On Tuesday, Sport Witness covered claims from Spain that Barcelona have Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven on their radar. This report surfaced after sporting director, Deco, recently made a trip to London.

Romero suffered an injury in Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on April 12th. He has been on the sidelines since then and will miss the rest of the season.

The Argentina international’s injury situation doesn’t stop Barcelona from showing interest in him.

He has been a regular for the Premier League side when fit. The centre-back played 2,657 minutes from 32 matches and even managed six goals and four assists.

His league stats this season are as follows:

Appearances: 23

Starts: 22

Total minutes: 1,872

Minutes per game: 81

Interceptions per game: 1.3

Tackles per game: 2.5

Recoveries per game:

Clearances per game: 4.1

Duels won per game: 6.7

Tottenham player on front page

The World Cup winner is on the front page of Wednesday’s edition of Sport, with ‘Plan B for Deco’ written in bold.

Barcelona want to sign a new centre-back after this season and Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni is their main target. He’s keen on a move and the Serie A side are open to a sale, provided there’s a €70m offer.

This is too high for Hansi Flick’s side, who have identified Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero as the Italian’s alternative.

The Catalan club feel the 28-year-old ‘fits all the requirements’ they are looking for in a new defender. They also appreciate his experience and leadership qualities.

This, coupled with Inter Milan’s stance with Bastoni, has seen the Spanish giants take action.

Barcelona have already held talks with Romero’s agent to express their interest and also explore the possibility of a summer deal. The newspaper state he wants to move to the Camp Nou.

On April 4th, the defender’s father, Víctor, said Spurs are looking to sell him for $50-70m [€43.4-60.6m]. He’s even likelier to leave if Roberto De Zerbi’s side [now in 18th spot] were to drop to the Championship.

In addition to the South American, Deco also has Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven and Real Sociedad’s 20-year-old defender, Jon Martín, in his target list. However, the latter lacks the experience while the Dutchman is now behind his Spurs teammate.

Romero’s contract, value and agent info

Last August, Cristian Romero signed a new contract until 2029, and Transfermarkt value him at €50m.

Agent Ciro Palermo, who mainly manages Argentine players, represents the Tottenham Hotspur star.

Tottenham Hotspur have stepped up their search for defensive reinforcements, and a new name has now emerged from Brazil.

Arthur Dias, a 19-year-old centre-back at Athletico Paranaense, is firmly on their radar after recent scouting missions.

The Premier League club sent representatives to the Arena da Baixada to watch him closely. Those visits came during matches against Atlético-GO and Vitória, offering a clear look at one of the most promising young defenders in Brazil right now.

According to local journalist Monique Vilela, Spurs have already shown interest in a potential move. Globo Esporte has confirmed the information. Tottenham have expressed interest to the Brazilian club.

However, Athletico have made their stance clear. They do not want to sell immediately and plan to keep the defender at least until the end of the year.

Rising profile backed by strong numbers

Arthur Dias has quickly become a key figure despite his age. He has played 15 matches this season, starting every single one. That level of trust says a lot about his role under Odair Hellmann.

The numbers support the hype. In the Brazilian league, he averages 1.3 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per game. He also records 2.8 clearances and recovers the ball 4.4 times per match.

Perhaps more impressively, he is rarely beaten. He is dribbled past just 0.2 times per game. That suggests strong positioning and composure, traits that often translate well to European football.

On the ball, he also looks comfortable. Arthur Dias completes around 38.7 passes per game with an 85% success rate. His accuracy rises to 91% in his own half, while he still manages 76% in the final third.

For a young centre-back, that balance between safety and progression stands out.

Price set and Tottenham made to wait

Arthur Dias is under contract until the end of 2028, which gives Athletico strong control over the situation. As a result, they are already setting expectations for any future deal.

As highlighted by Globo Esporte, the Brazilian side are likely to demand between £17m and £21.5m (€20m-€25m). That places him firmly in the bracket of emerging defensive talents rather than a bargain option.

For Tottenham, this looks like early groundwork rather than an immediate transfer push. They have identified the player, gathered live data, and now face a decision.

What happens next

Arthur Dias’ development over the next few months will be crucial. If he maintains his level, interest is likely to grow, not fade.

Tottenham may need to act quickly if competition arrives. At the same time, Athletico’s stance suggests patience will be required.

This has the feel of a classic Premier League scouting story – early interest, rising valuation, and a club trying to hold its position.

Radu Drăgușin’s agent has insisted his client does not want to leave Tottenham Hotspur, nor is he pushing to depart either.

Florin Manea has dismissed talk of an impending exit for the 24-year-old for now, insisting there is nothing going on behind the scenes at Spurs.

No transfer talk

Reports have linked Radu Drăgușin with a move away from Tottenham regardless of what happens this season.

The belief is that the Romanian defender is on a list of players Tottenham want to move on this summer. A huge rebuild is being planned at Spurs, regardless of whether they’re relegated or not.

The defender, who has struggled to impress since joining the club in 2024, is reportedly on that list. That’s even if Cristian Romero and Micky van der Ven were to move on as well.

Florin Manea, though, says all transfer talk is off the table for now. His client is simply focused on keeping Tottenham in the Premier League.

“Radu didn’t ask me for anything,” he insisted to Digi Sport.

“I said we won’t talk until the end of the championship; he’s focused on saving Tottenham. I also talked to him last night, we have time, no one is rushing us for now. If someone calls me, you’ll realise I’m talking, but I haven’t been contacted, I’m telling you the truth.”

Italy interest

Those reports linking Radu Drăgușin with an exit have also suggested that clubs in Italy would be keen. Juventus and Fiorentina have been named specifically as suitors.

But Manea is playing that down as well. He insists that there hasn’t been any contact whatsoever for the Tottenham defender.

“As I said, his priority now is saving Tottenham. I haven’t talked to Fiorentina, Juventus or even Tottenham. I’ll arrive in England next week, I’ll meet with Radu and we’ll see,” he added.

A return to Italy would make sense, though. It’s where Drăgușin impressed previously and, where he looked most comfortable. Another Premier League move seems unlikely given his experience with Tottenham.

But all that, it seems, is for the future. For now, his agent is insistent that transfer talk is off the table.

Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are keen on signing AFC Bournemouth star Marcos Senesi in the summer.

The Argentina international has just over two months left on his contract and his future is likely to be away from Bournemouth.

His contract situation and experience make him an attractive option for Tottenham, Aston Villa and several other clubs.

Last month, Sport Witness relayed news Aston Villa are offering a high salary to beat competition.

On April 9th, we covered claims from Italy of Tottenham and Unai Emery’s side being willing to propose €4m per year salary to the Bournemouth player.

Five days later, Sport Witness again covered claims of both Spurs and the Villans’ strong push for the free signing.

Encouragement for Tottenham and Aston Villa

Marcos Senesi has been speaking to Radio La Red AM 910 and Olé in Argentina have relayed his comments.

With a contract expiring in June, the centre-back is likely to leave Bournemouth for a new club in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona and Juventus are among his options. Senesi is open to staying in the Premier League but isn’t ruling out other options.

“I don’t have a league preference. Obviously, I like playing in the Premier League; I enjoy the competition, but I’m not ruling out playing in another league either. I told my agent to let me know when there’s something very clear and concrete,” he said.

The Bournemouth star says his teammates believe he’s already agreed a deal with a new club.

“My teammates get annoyed because they tell me I’ve probably already signed with a club. They don’t believe me when I say I still don’t know what I’m going to do,” Senesi explained.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side [now 18th] would have to continue in the Premier League to sign the 28-year-old.

Value, stats and agent info

Bournemouth signed the centre-back from Feyenoord in August 2022 and he has been a regular since then.

He has played 124 matches so far for the Cherries of which 35 matches [3,005 minutes] are from this season.

The defender’s Premier League stats this season are:

Appearances: 33

Starts:33

Total minutes: 2,930

Interceptions per game: 1.5

Tackles per game: 1.7

Ball recovered per game: 4.2

Clearances per game: 6.9

Blocked shots per game: 1.2

Duels won per game: 5.4