Sport Witness

Tottenham Hotspur are working on appointing a new manager, after parting ways with Thomas Frank on Wednesday.

Earlier today, Sport Witness covered claims from Italy that Enzo Maresca is in pole for the Tottenham job.

Spurs showed the exit door to the Dane due to poor results and performances. Tottenham won 13 of the 38 matches managed by Frank, and the Danish media share their take on what could have gone wrong for him at the north London club.

Former Everton, Real Madrid and Celtic midfielder Thomas Gravesen is now an expert for Viaplay in Denmark, and PL Bold have relayed his comments. He was accompanied by former Beşiktaş and Aberdeen goalkeeper, Peter Kjær.

Tottenham players responsible for Frank’s exit

PL Bold claim the duo ‘noticed a worrying trend: the players’ lack of respect for their Danish boss’ at Tottenham.

Spurs finished fourth in the Champions League group stage, while have struggled in the Premier League. The north London club are now 16th in the table, five points ahead of 18th placed West Ham United.

Tottenham have seven wins after 26 Premier League matches, and Gravesen believes their players have let Frank down.

“We have seen the way the players have behaved towards Thomas Frank. We have seen the way the players have performed, have solved the tasks, it has been under all criticism,” he said.

Frank was too soft at Tottenham

Gravesen believes his compatriot needs to take responsibility for failing to get a hold over players at Tottenham. The 49-year-old joined Spurs, after spending seven years at Brentford.

The former Denmark midfielder is confident Frank became a ‘victim of his own loyalty to the Brentford model’.

“The arrow sometimes points back to a football coach. ‘Are you tough enough?’. ‘Are you strong enough?’ in situations that arise when you are a coach, to make these decisions that are little more than an arm on the shoulder?” Gravesen explained.

“I think Thomas has taken what he had at Brentford with him to Tottenham and believed that an arm around these guys’ shoulders will take us a long way. I think Thomas should have been tougher. Much, much tougher in his rhetoric.”

Parma’s Mandela Keita is on Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa’s radar.

On New Year’s Eve, Sport Witness covered claims from Italy that a Spurs scout watched the 23-year-old. Aston Villa have now joined Thomas Frank’s side in the transfer chase.

That’s according to Parma Today, who report several Premier League sides, including Tottenham and Unai Emery’s side, are following the Belgian.

The Belgian joined the Serie A side from Royal Antwerp in August 2024.

His performances for his former club had helped him make debut for the national team in October 2023. He hasn’t featured for De Rode Duivels and last received a call up in June 2024.

Belgian impressing with recent performances

Keita made 24 league starts last season and already has 22 starts this season. The outlet uses his recent performances against Juventus, Atalanta and Bologna as examples to highlight his importance for manager Carlos Cuesta.

His performances haven’t gone unnoticed in England, where Tottenham and Aston Villa are among the player’s suitors.

According to the report, the Europa League winners have been monitoring the Belgian for a while. It would mean the north London club’s official continue to scout him closely. This puts Spurs ahead of the Villa Park club, even though the latter recently joined the chase.

Tottenham and Aston Villa face Serie A competition

Keita is also attracting interest from Serie A where Napoli have been following him from his spell at Royal Antwerp.

The Belgian has a contract until 2029. According to the report, Parma would need at least €25m to start negotiations for his potential sale in the summer.

Their title says ‘Premier League awaits him’. However, there isn’t anything within the report backing Tottenham or Aston Villa planning to make advances. For now, the two English clubs seem to be keeping a close watch on Keita.

Meanwhile, Belgium manager Rudi Garcia has Keita on his radar ahead of the upcoming international break.

On Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur parted ways with Thomas Frank, after a series of poor results.

The Dane, who arrived at the north London club in the summer, managed 38 matches and won 13 of them.

Spurs are yet to register a league win in this calendar year and have two Premier League victories since November. This convinced the Tottenham board to show Frank the exit door.

Roberto De Zerbi linked to Tottenham

The English are looking for a new manager, and reports have named a few candidates. On Wednesday, Sport Witness covered claims from France of Spurs’ interest in Roberto De Zerbi, who left Marseille on Wednesday.

Sportitalia now take a look at these claims and provide their own take on De Zerbi joining Tottenham.

Despite the links, the report claims the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss isn’t the main target for Tottenham.

Enzo Maresca top target for north London club

The outlet states Enzo Maresca has emerged as a ‘surprise’ target for Tottenham. The Italian is the ‘hottest name’ and is ‘in pole position’ to become Frank’s successor.

Maresca managed Leicester City during the 2023/24 season and helped them secure promotion to the Premier League.

His work for the Foxes had convinced Chelsea to bring him to Stamford Bridge. The Italian guided the Blues to the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup success in 2025.

The manager left Chelsea in January, after a reported fallout with their owners. He has been without a job since then, but Sportitalia claim Tottenham could change that.

Maresca had developed few players and improved the collective performance of the team at Chelsea. This is what has attracted Tottenham.

Spurs want the former Parma boss to ‘revitalise a struggling Tottenham, bring stability to the project, and maximise the squad’s potential.’

Tottenham Hotspur can sign Borussia Dortmund star Felix Nmecha for just over £50m this summer.

That’s according to BILD. The German newspaper cover the midfielder today. According to their information, Nmecha ‘would probably leave’ Dortmund this summer if a €60m offer were to arrive.

BILD cover the situation at Dortmund and how it is likely to be a busy summer in terms of exits. While the team focus on applying pressure to Bayern Munich on the pitch, the club continue to work behind the scenes on personnel

The belief is that the current spine of the team will find itself under focus in the coming weeks and months. Nmecha is a part of that group. In fact, his future ‘hangs in the balance’.

Tottenham interest not going away

According to BILD’s information, numerous clubs are monitoring the 25-year-old. Tottenham are one of those that are keen. Sport Witness covered a report on January 21st that stated they were planning a transfer attack on the midfielder.

That report at the time stated €60m, around £50m, would get a deal done. BILD now back that up. The newspaper states that if a club offers that amount, then Nmecha ‘would probably leave’.

That would be against Dortmund’s plans, though. They intend to use him as a key player moving forwards. That has increased the pressure on them to sort out a new deal, as his current contract runs until 2028. In the meantime, Tottenham lurk in the background.

Tottenham Hotspur are seeing a clearer outline around Richarlison’s future, with fresh details from Brazil spelling out the player’s priorities, preferred markets and the factors shaping his next move.

As explained by ESPN Brazil journalist Bruno Andrade, Richarlison remains one of the strongest fits for their plans later in the year. Even so, the situation carries more layers than simple interest.

Player preference points away from Brazil

Despite Flamengo’s monitoring, which we previously covered in detail, Richarlison’s main aim is to stay abroad. ESPN report that the Tottenham striker currently favours options outside Brazil, with Turkey and Saudi Arabia emerging as the two main markets under consideration.

There is also a clear ranking between those destinations. With several Saudi Pro League clubs cutting spending as budgets tighten, Turkey now looks the more realistic path. A return to Brazil remains possible, but it is not the player’s first option at this stage.

Conditions for a Flamengo move

That door stays open under specific terms. Richarlison has a verbal agreement with Tottenham to leave after the World Cup for a fixed fee of €25m. ESPN add that he would be willing to sit down with Flamengo if the Brazilian club formally meet that valuation.

From Flamengo’s side, the figures align. The club have €30m set aside to sign a high-profile striker. They planned to use the same budget in an attempt to sign Kaio Jorge from Cruzeiro, before that deal collapsed.

Injury concerns and Tottenham outlook

Richarlison’s physical situation also influences the timeline. He is currently injured and is expected to return only in the final stretch of the 2025-26 season.

Speaking on TNT Sports, journalist Fred Caldeira offered a direct assessment. He stressed that Richarlison staying at Tottenham looks unlikely, largely due to his ongoing fitness issues.

“It’s very difficult for Richarlison to stay at Tottenham next season. He just can’t get physical continuity,” Caldeira said.

He then added: “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for him at Tottenham. So I imagine the club already see Richarlison as a player they could make a good proposal for in the next transfer window.”

For now, Richarlison remains a Tottenham player. However, with a set price, a clear preference to stay abroad and Turkey emerging as a strong option, the post-World Cup window looks set to be decisive.

Dejan Kulusevski last made an appearance for Tottenham Hotspur in May 2025. He picked up a knee injury and underwent surgery later that month.

The setback forced the Sweden international to miss Spurs’ Europa League final win over Manchester United.

In September, Sport Witness covered claims from Sweden about the possibility of him returning to the pitch in two to three months. The Tottenham player then provided positive updates on his recovery.

The attacking midfielder is yet to play under Graham Potter for the national team. Two months ago, the Sweden coach said Kulusevski is desperate to return to action. He was optimistic of having him in the squad for March’s World Cup play-offs.

However, he hasn’t regained full fitness yet. On Monday, Thomas Frank said the 25-year-old will visit a specialist later this week.

Sportbladet now cover the latest on his current injury situation, and it is ‘grim news’ for Sweden and Spurs.

Kulusevski worry for Tottenham and Sweden

The former Juventus man is unlikely to be available to face Ukraine in March. The newspaper states the Tottenham attacker is ‘nowhere near stepping out’ on the pitch as he’s still working on his rehabilitation.

According to Sportbladet, Kulusevski is ‘expected to be out longer than expected’. There is genuine fear in his country of him missing the clash against Ukraine on March 26th.

He could make it to the squad if ‘something miraculous happens’. Even if that were to happen, the Tottenham star won’t be able to start for Sweden.

Kulusevski’s injury situation is also a concern for Frank and the Premier League side.

Potter will also be without Kulusevski’s Tottenham teammate, Lucas Bergvall, for the World Cup play-off. Last month, the 20-year-old midfielder underwent surgery and could be out for three months.

Tottenham Hotspur’s deal to sign Souza from Santos has already produced off-pitch effects in Brazil, as the club moved quickly to bring forward its share of the transfer fee to ease cashflow pressure.

Santos used an international banking operation to bring forward the money owed by Tottenham. As a result, the club secured immediate access to the funds instead of waiting for instalments.

The structure follows a similar move made in 2024, when Santos anticipated income from striker Marcos Leonardo’s transfer to Benfica.

Upfront Tottenham funds secured through international operation

From the total fee paid by Tottenham – around £15.7m (€18.5m) – Santos are entitled to 87.5%. That share amounts to just over £13.7m (€16.2m), which the club received upfront through the banking deal.

The interest rate stood at 3%. Internally, Santos consider those terms favourable given the club’s financial position.

Tottenham’s financial credibility played a decisive role in the process. The low perceived risk allowed Santos to structure the operation outside Brazil and secure better conditions than those usually offered domestically.

Behind the scenes, club officials see the anticipation of future receivables as one of the few viable ways to keep the club operating in the black at this stage.

Limits of the strategy and payment risk

Club sources admit the strategy cannot apply to every sale. The bank released the funds with limited requirements largely because of Tottenham’s reliability.

In contrast, Santos failed to advance a similar operation in the past. During negotiations involving Nottingham Forest centre-back Jair Cunha last year, concerns over payment risk stopped the process from moving forward.

Debt pressure and financial restructuring

The move comes at a delicate moment for Santos. The club’s total debt stands close to £165m (€195m), while annual revenue sits around £79m (€93m). That imbalance leaves little room for manoeuvre.

At the same time, Santos recently extended its agreement with an investment fund for another six months. The firm helps manage cashflow and financial planning during the restructuring process.

For Tottenham, the episode underlines how their financial standing continues to carry weight abroad, even after the transfer itself has been completed.

Tottenham Hotspur could be ready to fight Arsenal for the signing of Leon Goretzka in the summer transfer window after showing interest in January.

That’s at least according to journalist Heiko Niedderer. BILD cover comments from him today and the potential battle for the 31-year-old.

Goretzka will become a free agent in the summer. In January, he revealed that he plans to leave Bayern Munich on a free transfer after deciding not to sign a new contract with the German giants.

His plan is to see out the season with them before starting fresh in the summer. But reports at the end of the January transfer window had Arsenal making a bid. According to the Bayern Insider podcast, Arsenal made Bayern an offer just before the window closed.

Goretzka rejected this approach. He didn’t want to entertain the interest at that late point. His focus is on the summer and, according to Niedderer, Tottenham will also be in the mix.

They were also linked at the end of January. A report at that point stated their efforts were being pushed back until the summer. That came after reports in Italy stated they had made a surprise move for the 31-year-old.

Leon Goretzka: Tottenham in mix after Arsenal offer

Now eyes turn to the summer transfer window instead and Niedderer believes Tottenham will be back at that point too.

“We know about the negotiations with Atlético Madrid, which were quite advanced,” he said.

“Arsenal also jumped in and made an offer. But Goretzka had already decided to make a clean break and look for something new in the summer.

“In this case, it worked out well; it sounds like a clean break. Arsenal could be another exciting option in the summer, though. England in general is his preferred destination.

“And I think that’s where he belongs with his style of play. Tottenham is also a possibility; I’d be happy with that as well.”

That could leave Goretzka with an interesting choice to make in the summer. Arsenal would appear to offer the stronger option based on their current season compared to Tottenham’s, but they also face far greater competition for places.

Most Tottenham fans would argue that Goretzka would walk into their midfield, but they’ve also just spent big on Conor Gallagher.

The situation remains one to watch over the coming months. Goretzka’s free agent status will have clubs lining up. Arsenal and Tottenham seem likely to be among them.

Manor Solomon’s agent Shlomy Ben Ezra remains hopeful the Tottenham Hotspur player can join Fiorentina permanently in the summer.

The representative has been speaking to Sport 5‘s ‘Five in the Air’ about a few topics related to the 26-year-old.

Thomas Frank left the attacker out of his core plans at Tottenham this season. This saw Salomon move to Villarreal on a season-long loan deal on summer deadline day.

The Israel international had a good start to his La Liga career. Villarreal boss Marcelino then started overlooking the Tottenham owned player and this didn’t please him. He had a clause to terminate his loan stay in Spain in the winter market.

At the start of January, Solomon activated the clause to leave Villarreal. He then moved to Fiorentina on loan until the end of the season.

The Serie A side are 18th in the table, a point behind 17th placed US Lecce. The forward wants to help La Viola avoid getting relegated. He managed a goal from 241 minutes from seven matches for Fiorentina, who also secured a purchase option with Spurs.

€10m to Tottenham represents a bargain

His agent has now confirmed the purchase fee, which he insists is affordable. He also said Salomon can stay at the Italian club beyond this season, provided Fiorentina stay in the top division.

“Fiorentina was a good choice. You can see that he has played significant minutes in the last two games. They have an option to buy him, he lives in an amazing place, so the decision was very easy,” he said.

“He signed for half a seasons with an option to buy for €10m. If they are relegated, he will leave. We hope that Fiorentina will remain in the league and we will move on.”

“By today’s standards, I think €10m is a bargain for Manor Solomon.”

Tottenham Hotspur may yet see Richarlison’s future take a clearer shape later in the year, with Flamengo still keeping a close eye on the striker from afar.

According to ESPN Brazil, Richarlison remains firmly on Flamengo’s radar. Manager Filipe Luís, the former Chelsea defender, is a big fan of the forward and feels he ticks the right boxes for what the club want in a centre-forward. That admiration has kept the name alive behind the scenes.

Numbers start to match

On Tottenham’s side, the picture is already fairly tidy. As we have covered, Richarlison has an agreement with Spurs to be sold in the middle of the year if the right offer arrives. The price range sits between €25m and €30m, which brings a new wrinkle to the story.

That matters because Flamengo is reportedly holding exactly €30m to invest in a striker. Earlier talk centred on a fixed €25m fee. Now, the figures line up almost perfectly, at least on paper.

Why everyone is waiting

Timing could be key. ESPN suggest Richarlison’s situation may gain real traction after the World Cup, when clubs usually reshuffle plans and budgets. That delay suits the current mood, with no rush from Tottenham and no formal move yet from Flamengo.

For now, the Brazilian club are still in information-gathering mode. Still, the logic is easy to follow. Filipe Luís wants a statement forward. Richarlison remains open-minded, including about a return to Brazil. Tottenham already know the price.

Not just a Brazil-only story for Tottenham player

However, Flamengo is not alone in watching from the sidelines. Richarlison continues to attract interest from clubs abroad, which could complicate things or push the market along.

Nothing is close, nothing is signed. But with the numbers agreed and the timing slowly approaching, this is one situation worth keeping an eye on once the season dust settles.