Sport Witness

On Tuesday, the Seville media reported Victor Orta had already taken steps to try and get Archie Gray from Tottenham Hotspur in the winter market

The idea was that Gray would arrive on loan, taking Sevilla’s final loanee spot, and be an option for the Spanish club until the end of the current season.

As we immediately pointed out, it felt quite unlikely indeed. Tottenham clearly rate the 18-year-old very highly, otherwise they wouldn’t have sent so much money to Leeds United for him.

Therefore, even if they were considering a loan, and there’s been little indication of that so far, Sevilla would surely be very far down the list of acceptable destinations and would likely have a thick line crossed through their name.

Sevilla have repeatedly demonstrated that they’re not exactly the best loan destination, and Spurs experienced that first hand with Alejo Véliz in the second half of last season.

The 21-year-old arrived much wanted by Orta, and yet despite the sports director’s messages to Spurs to allow the move, Véliz was only given around half an hour of action.

Wednesday saw the Seville media giving up on the idea, mentioning the above situation as a factor.

Now, Estadio Deportivo, the club’s local sport newspaper, states Tottenham have sent a distinct message via social media.

On Thursday, Spurs posted a picture of Gray with the words ‘Our Archie’, and that’s seen a very strong transfer hint.

Last month, we covered claims from Argentina that Tottenham Hotspur want to sign Boca Juniors’ Kevin Zenón in January or next summer. It was also stated Newcastle United and Benfica had made contacts to sign him, presumably in the last window.

Five days ago, O Jogo said Benfica are trying to get ahead of Newcastle and Real Madrid in the chase for the 23-year-old.

Pasión Fútbol now back up Tottenham and Newcastle interest in the midfielder. They state the Premier League duo, along with Brighton & Hove Albion, Lyon, FC Porto and Napoli are all closely following Zenón. The website have also provided the Argentine club’s stance on a potential deal in the winter market.

Boca Juniors took him from Unión Santa Fe in January and his performances this year has caught the attention of several European clubs. Their president, Juan Román Riquelme, is planning for possible exits in the next window and Zenón could be one of them.

The South American club’s leaders and their coaching staff are aware it’ll be ‘difficult to retain’ the player. Therefore, Riquelme is preparing to sell Zenón in the ‘coming weeks’ [in January], if there’s an offer close to his $15m [£11.5m] release clause.

Tottenham and Newcastle wouldn’t have issues offering a fee close to £11.5m for Zenón.

Guglielmo Vicario has become a leader at Tottenham Hotspur, since arriving at the club from Empoli in the summer of 2023.

Now the undisputed regular between the sticks, the 28-year-old has also been enhancing his chances of playing regularly for Italy, making vital saves and showing his ability on the ball at Tottenham.

He’s made sure that Spurs haven’t really missed Hugo Lloris after the Frenchman’s exit, and the Italian has become a fan favourite in London.

The goalkeeper has spoken to Gazzetta dello Sport about his time at Spurs and what he makes of the season so far.

He believes Tottenham have deserved more from the campaign but things will get better: “From a playing point of view we expressed a lot and perhaps achieved a little less than we deserved. Evidently if we didn’t collect points, something is missing, there is definitely something to improve, we need to work on it.

“It’s a so-so start, let’s say, we could have collected more but we look to the future with confidence.”

The 28-year-old was also asked about his habit of scolding his teammates after Tottenham concede, as he stated that this always helps the side.

“I think you shouldn’t get carried away by negative moments and you need to immediately raise the decibel level of the team.

“Every now and then it helps and I try to do it, because maybe I’m the one who is a bit more lucid at the back and can see certain things better. But I always do everything for the common good, in the interest of bringing home the result.”

With the London giants playing in the Europa League, Vicario also spoke of Tottenham’s chances in the competition.

“It is a competition in which there are above all many high-level opponents. We started very well, with two victories, and now we need to follow up with Thursday’s match against AZ.

“It becomes crucial: you cannot afford missteps in European competitions, you don’t have time to recover ground. Thursday’s match is a great opportunity.”

Ange Postecoglou’s side are currently seventh in the Premier League table and third in the Europa League table.

They have impressed a lot as an attacking side and have been let down by poor finishing and bad defending during counter-attacks. Once those issues in the side are fixed, Spurs could well be contenders to win silverware.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero wants to play for Club Atlético Belgrano at some point in his career.

That’s according to the Tottenham star’s mother Rosa, and she revealed this during a chat with Radio Sucesos. Her comments are relayed by TNT Sports.

The Argentine international was part of the Belgrano academy between 2014 and 2016. He was promoted to their senior team in 2016 and made 19 appearances for them.

Romero left his country when Genoa signed him from the Argentine club in 2018. After a spell in Italy, he arrived at Tottenham in August 2021. The Premier League side initially signed him on loan from Atalanta and made his stay permanent a year later. The Copa América winner has been a regular at Spurs and has a deal lasting until 2027. Recent claims have talked about Real Madrid’s desire to try and secure his services next summer.

According to the South American’s mother, his plan is to return to Belgrano in the future, and she remains optimistic that the Tottenham player will do so.

“His lifelong dream is to succeed at Belgrano, which is still his love today. It is a pending question, and he will surely do it,” she said.

Romero has impressed for Tottenham and Argentina. Taking this into account, it’s unlikely he could return to Belgrano in the near future, despite his mother’s admission.

Serie A has been a pretty effective hunting ground for Tottenham Hotspur in recent seasons.

The likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario have all arrived from the Italian top flight, turning into rather successful signings.

Radu Dragusin also arrived from Genoa in January but things haven’t quite worked out for him just yet.

There is now a possibility of the Romanian moving away in exchange for another Serie A defender.

InterLive believe that the player in question is Inter’s Yann Bisseck and Tottenham are ‘strongly interested’ in signing the versatile defender, whose situation could become intriguing next summer.

Spurs could make an offer at that point, potentially including Dragusin, who isn’t said to be part of Ange Postecoglou’s plans.

As of now, Inter don’t want a player included in any deal and would only sell Bisseck if a major cash offer is made. Regardless, it’s stated Tottenham want to make an attempt and potentially land the German.

Bisseck is still liked a lot by Inter boss Simone Inzaghi and that is one reason why the Nerazzurri aren’t desperate to sell him.

Tottenham Hotspur star Micky van de Ven has insisted he is not surprised by his rapid rise, as he wouldn’t have joined the club if he wasn’t confident, he could step up.

The Dutch defender has been speaking to De Telegraaf about his current rise after joining Tottenham in a €40m deal from VfL Wolfsburg in August last year.

The 23-year-old has established himself as a key player in Ange Postecoglou’s side since, flourishing in the forward-thinking, all-out attack system that the Tottenham man employs.

His unique combination of pace, strength and comfort on the ball has earned him glowing praise from around Europe and has most convinced he could be a star of the future.

Such a rapid rise given he was playing for Volendam in 2019 is impressive, but he’s not surprised, insisting he wouldn’t have moved to Tottenham if he wasn’t absolutely sure he could make the step up. “The last year has been incredibly fast,” he said.

“Of course, you know your own qualities, but it is always a question of how you are going to do at the highest level, on the highest podium. So far, that has been going very well at Spurs. From Wolfsburg to Tottenham is a big step.

“It is working out very well. I also made the steps to Wolfsburg and Tottenham because I thought I could handle the level. That is why it does not surprise me that it is going so well. If you know your own qualities, you do not make such a step if you cannot handle it.”

This summer saw Van de Ven featuring for the Netherlands at Euro 2024, playing at left-back in games against Poland, Austria, Romania and Türkiye.

Playing for the Netherlands means featuring alongside a wealth of defensive talent, with the Dutch boasting options such as Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake and Mathijs de Ligt.

The Tottenham defender is aware of that and admits he spent the summer learning from the experience around him, namely Van Dijk.

“I have really grown as a player through the European Championships,” he added.

“You gain a lot of experience during such a final tournament. The boys also help you all the time. It is the little things that you take with you, for example in the coaching.

“I have also spoken a lot with Daley Blind, who has helped me with several things. But you also look at how Virgil does on the field. Those are all things that you can take with you.”

On Tuesday, we covered claims from Italy that Tottenham Hotspur showed interest in US Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu in the summer window. The Premier League side didn’t proceed with the negotiations when asked for €30-35m.

Spurs have maintained their interest in the 19-year-old, who has impressed for the Serie A side this season. He operated as a left-back and manager Luca Gotti moved him mainly to the wings earlier this year.

On Friday, Dorgu was rewarded with a new contract until 2029. It will not stop Tottenham or any other club from chasing the versatile player.

That’s according to Saturday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, who state AC Milan have him in their sights. The Rossoneri have to be wary of the competition from Tottenham and Chelsea, who are ‘in pole position’ to sign the Denmark international.

Gazzetta say Dorgu, who’ll turn 20 years of age later this month, is Lecce’s ‘golden boy’. Milan have already seen their €8m offer get rejected in 2023 and are still keeping close tabs on him.

The Premier League sides have entered the battle and the ‘auction has already started’ for Dorgu, with Tottenham in the lead.

Despite the renewal, the newspaper states Lecce are ‘ready to achieve a historic capital gain’ from his sale. There’s no mention of their demand or the fee Tottenham could offer for the youngster.

Both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have been linked with a move for Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu in recent months.

The versatile Danish player made his debut for the national team recently, attracting more attention, and Lecce have now acted quickly and tied him down to a new deal.

Earlier today, the club confirmed that the player has signed a new deal that will expire in the summer of 2029.

While that might concern Tottenham and Chelsea fans, it doesn’t ruin their chances.

FiorentinaNews have reported that it is Spurs who retain major interest in the youngster and Chelsea are probably second in the race. The new deal, though, doesn’t mean that he will stay at Lecce beyond this season.

He is very likely to depart in the summer and it seems as if the new deal is only to increase the player’s value.

Lecce’s own intention is to maximise how much they earn from Dorgu’s sale, especially because he joined the club only for a fee of €200k. The contract is their attempt to make a big transfer and potentially launch an auction.

Marseille advisor Medhi Benatia has told Tipsbladet that they intend to buy Tottenham Hotspur’s Pierre-Emile Højbjerg.

In the summer window, the Ligue 1 side signed the 28-year-old on a loan deal with an option to buy.

The Tottenham owned player has started in every league fixture for Marseille this season. He was substituted only once, in his side’s 3-1 win over Toulouse at the end of August.

Højbjerg has quickly settled in at his new club so much so that he captained Marseille on three occasions this season. The advisor insists the midfielder has been playing a big role at the French club, both on and off the pitch.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side are third in the table, trailing league leaders Paris Saint-Germain by five points. Benatia was asked to explain the Denmark international’s contribution to the club’s good start to the season.

“It’s actually easy to answer, because you can just look at the statistics. Pierre is one of the best, or the best, player in Ligue 1 when it comes to ball possession and successful passes. It says everything about his role on the pitch and as a leader in midfield,” he said.

“But for me it’s also about his great influence off the pitch. He’s a natural leader and a good example for all his teammates, especially the young players. We have a very young team, and Pierre is essential for them so they can learn what it means to play football at such a high level. He is really important to Roberto De Zerbi.

“Today he’s captain of the national team, and he’s also been given the armband here when captain Leo Balerdi has been out. In football there are no coincidences. He makes the team stronger, and he’s already indispensable. He represents exactly what a Marseille player should be according to our president: exemplary, professional, dedicated and hardworking.”

De Zerbi’s side have a clear aim to qualify for the Champions League next season. The club advisor insists the Tottenham man has a role to play in helping them achieve this. He mentioned this when revealing Marseille’s plans for the Dane.

“Pierre has signed a loan agreement with an option to buy, so the move will soon become permanent,” Benatia explained.

“Pierre will help us with our project to qualify for the Champions League. We need to be part of the top 24 European clubs, which are the ones that qualify for last 16 in the new Champions League format.”

Antonio Conte’s spell at Tottenham Hotspur didn’t bring any silverware and ended in him leaving the club by mutral consent.

The Italian’s journey at Napoli has turned out to be a rather positive, and despite a shaky start the Partenopei find themselves leading Serie A.

Journalist Max Gallo has spoken to Radio Napoli Centrale about the Napoli boss and he provided some insight about how Conte has changed from his time at Tottenham.

He said, as relayed by NapoliMagazine: “Conte’s versatility? It was surprising because he had the label of someone who was carrying forward a certain type of project. He was good at changing it and even during the match.”

He further said: “Conte changed after Tottenham, even on a human level after a series of sad news.

“As if he had put a bit of distance between himself and his character and this did him a lot of good. He’s a coach who works a lot and it shows.”

While Conte’s last press conference as Tottenham will live long in the memories of many, he has toned-down in his media appearances since arriving at Napoli.

He did express some frustrations about the club’s operations in the transfer window some weeks ago, but there was an element of patience in him too.

Spurs fans didn’t really see that version of Conte during his time in London and depending on how his time in Naples goes, the Premier League side may regret letting him leave.