Sport Witness

Randal Kolo Muani joined Tottenham late in the summer transfer window after weeks of being linked with a return to Juventus.

The move also attracted a war of words between the Italian side and Paris Saint-Germain. Juve made it clear they rejected a chance to sign the Frenchman on favourable terms on deadline day. They ended up with Lois Openda instead.

There was a belief this was Juve’s attempt to save face due to their failure to sign the France international on time.

Further signs of bitterness about the Tottenham signing are now emerging in Turin.

TuttoJuve note Kolo Muani’s fitness troubles, as the 26-year-old has missed the last two Premier League games due to a leg injury.

The stint in London is said to be passing by ‘without tangible progress’, as the outlet also overstate that his performances have been ‘subpar’ this season.

Further, they point out that Kolo Muani’s loan at Tottenham can end in ‘another disappointing season’, clearly spreading negativity when it is still too early to judge the player’s situation.

This shows that there is clearly bitterness in Turin about their failure to land the forward.

Kolo Muani has made just one appearance for Tottenham but there is still a lot of time left for him to impress.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the clubs in the picture to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt, according to Bild.

The attacking midfielder is in his final year of contract and his future still needs to be resolved.

Last week, we covered claims from Germany which explained a move to Tottenham could be attractive for Brandt.

BVB face the risk of losing the 29-year-old as a free agent next summer. There’s been a ‘surprise turnaround’ in his situation as the door opens for a renewal.

At the weekend, he registered two assists in his side’s 5-0 win over Mainz 05. He started because of Serhou Guirassy’s injury. Bild say his decisive performance in this game has been the ‘trigger’ for a possible contract extension.

Last season, the Germany international had mixed performances and often disappeared in matches. Despite this, the Bundesliga club are aware he’s capable of deciding the outcome of a match single handedly.

Bild say Niko Kovač is convinced of Brandt, and if the player were to impress regularly, he can have ‘legitimate hopes of staying’ beyond this season.

It’s claimed the former Bayer Leverkusen man has ‘improved his negotiating position’. Not only through his performances but also by using the interest shown by Tottenham, Newcastle and Aston Villa. Whether that interest was genuine or manufactured is questionable.

Bild state: ‘Now he himself has initiated the application phase for a new contract!’

Earlier this month, Dean Huijsen’s agent Ali Barat told AS clubs like Tottenham, Newcastle United and Liverpool came calling for the defender in the summer.

Barat also revealed Chelsea were the first club to register interest in the centre-back. That happened in January but Bournemouth weren’t interested in a sale.

The 20-year-old’s father, Donny, has spoken to TuttoSport about the defender. His touched on his move to Bournemouth and then the switch to Real Madrid.

Donnt said many clubs, like Tottenham and Newcastle, were interested in Huijsen, who had his eyes firmly set on a move to Los Blancos.

“Many of the big names wanted him”

“A significant development path was in the offing for Dean, who actually played 32 games with 3 goals and 2 assists for the Cherries shirt. He also played 3 more FA Cup matches, totalling 2,800 minutes on the pitch. These excellent performances earned him a contract with the most famous and successful club on the planet.

“Many of the big names in European football wanted him (Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle United, etc.), but he politely declined every offer, waiting for “that” team to arrive. The “team” of his dreams, the biggest and most fascinating: Real Madrid.”

Huijsen’s father also spoke about his Juventus exit and how it came as a shock to him. That was especially because the Italian club offered no reason for his sale to Bournemouth.

“It was a real shock. We couldn’t believe it, we were shocked. It was bad, too bad. A dark day. Terrible. A bolt from the blue. But why? We wondered, unable to understand, the reasons for the forced separation. Dean was wonderful in Turin, he speaks excellent Italian, he was appreciated and well-liked by everyone.

“From the staff to his teammates, from the entire Juventus world to the warehouseman. Giuntoli was categorical and Motta was brutal when they told him he would no longer be part of the project and that he had to leave, that he was no longer allowed to train with the first team.”

So far this season, Huijsen has already become an important part of Real Madrid’s first-team. He has over 500 minutes in all competitions.

The Spain international would have been a more than useful signing for both Tottenham and Newcastle United, considering his high potential.

Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic is certainly something of a character.

The 18-year-old moved from Spurs to HSV Hamburg on loan in the summer. In his last match he scored a goal in a 2-0 victory. Prior to that he missed a chance and then punched the goalpost, later fearing he’d broken fingers.

Vuskovic has now spoken to Bild and there’s a lengthy interview in their Sunday edition.

The German newspaper’s first question was about those fingers, and the Tottenham player replied: “They’re a bit swollen, but they’re fine. Nothing’s broken. I don’t usually react quite so emotionally. But I identify so strongly with this club, and after that missed chance, the post was the one to take the fall. I felt the pain immediately. But when I scored shortly after, I forgot about it.”

On Tottenham or HSV next season: “Let’s see what happens”

The defender was determined to join HSV in the summer.

His brother Mario plays for HSV but is currently serving a doping ban. How the German club and their support have stood by Mario impressed the Vuskovic family. That’s why the Tottenham player has big feelings for HSV.

Asked about that, he said: “I saw how strong my brother is. I wanted to be that too. He helps me a lot with his advice on how to deal with brutal setbacks and downsides. This helps me develop, especially mentally.”

Bild put it to Vuskovic that Tottenham paid €11m for him. That’s because he’s considered one of the best defensive talents on the planet, to that slant he said: “I don’t have an overarching goal. There are so many strong talents. I want to take each year individually and hope that this season will be my best yet. And I want to enjoy football.”

On potential staying beyond his loan, the defender stated: “I just arrived, so that’s not an issue right now. Let’s see what happens next summer.”

Luka Vuskovic has already been away with Croatia and hopes he makes the World Cup squad.

Tottenham are once again interested in Vasco da Gama talent Rayan. This is being reported in Brazil by Léo Lacerda and Luiz Amadeu of NT Vascaínos.

According to their claims, representatives from the Premier League side will be in São Januário this weekend. They want to watch the 19-year-old forward in action against Cruzeiro. Barcelona will also have a scout present to monitor the teenager.

Rayan is considered one of the most coveted Brazilian youngsters at the moment. He has a contract with Vasco running until the end of 2026. His release clause is set at €40m (£34.3m). The Rio de Janeiro club are trying to keep him at least until the end of the current season.

After missing out on Savinho in the summer, Spurs’ pursuit of Rayan looks natural: he’s a 1v1 winger that can play in both sides, with outstanding quality on the ball and an eye for a goal, having scored eleven times in 36 starts this year.

It is said the London side are impressed with his quality and are expected to present a bid in the region of €30m (£25.7m). Vasco currently hold 70% of his rights, while the other 30% belong to the player. Their plan is to turn any future deal into one of the biggest sales in the club’s history.

The Brazilian outlet also reveals that Zenit Saint Petersburg are in the race. The Russian side are said to have already placed an official offer of £21.7m, plus 80% of defender Robert Renan, who is currently on loan at Vasco until the end of the year.

The competition for this Vasco da Gama gem is heating up, and the next moves from Tottenham will be closely watched.

A Tottenham Hotspur offer to Julian Brandt could tempt the midfielder to depart Borussia Dortmund.

That’s at least according to WA.de, who cover the potential interest today after a report in England stated Tottenham were one of the sides interested in the 29-year-old.

They say any move to England would be ‘completely unexpected’ for the midfielder, who has been a central figure at Dortmund since 2019. With over 200 appearances, he’s one of their most influential players.

But despite that, they’re yet to offer concrete talks about an extension to his current deal, which expires in 2026.

That has reportedly piqued interest in the Premier League and Tottenham have been named as one of the sides interested in him.

WA say their interest in Brandt would be because they’re looking for a replacement for James Maddison, and he could fill the void. It seems, though, to ignore the fact that Tottenham signed Xavi Simons to do that.

Anyway, they say Spurs would be an ‘attractive option’ from a sporting perspective while Dortmund would also see them as ‘financially attractive’ given they could offer a fee in January and generate transfer revenue rather than lose him on a free in the summer.

They also add that the Premier League offers financial and sporting ‘temptations’ which could help to influence Brandt’s decision. In simple terms, he and Dortmund would be more than happy to talk about a transfer with Tottenham.

We’ll take it all with a pinch of salt as the rumour firmly comes from England and WA seems to ignore Xavi Simons’ arrival completely. But they do insist that if it’s real, it could be something to keep an eye on.

Returning to Tottenham Hotspur is not currently in Harry Kane’s thinking as he’s “still very hungry” with Bayern Munich.

That’s according to ‘expert’ Marcel Reif, via BILD, who is convinced Kane isn’t thinking about the move back to Tottenham.

That topic has been a hot one this week after a report emerged that Tottenham can use a €60m clause. That was apparently negotiated as part of his original move to Bayern Munich.

The subject was put to Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, who insisted they would welcome the striker back with open arms. It’s then made its way to Germany, causing something of a panic at Bayern. Various people are now trying to talk it down and insist there’s nothing going on.

They have give the distinct impression of trying to insist that they are in control, when the reality appears to be that they are not. Now Reif wants to do some of that work on their behalf as well. He’s insisted Kane currently won’t be thinking about a return to Tottenham.

“Of course, there’s no question that he might want to return to his homeland at some point,” he said.

“But only after he’s done his job. And I believe he’s still very hungry. There’s no danger of that happening at the moment.”

Bayern Munich director of sport Max Eberl has insisted any decision over a Tottenham Hotspur return will be made by Harry Kane only.

BILD cover comments from him today from a press conference, in which the subject of Kane’s potential return to Tottenham was brought up once again.

Reports throughout this week have linked Kane with a return to Tottenham at some point in the near future. Partly courtesy of an alleged clause that was agreed as part of his move to Bayern Munich.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank added fuel when asked about the subject. The manager insisted that he and everyone else would welcome Kane with open arms if he wishes to return.

Bayern have been working to play down the idea. Making it clear that they are planning for life with Kane long-term and don’t believe he will be departing soon.

Eberl has now doubled down on that stance. He insisted that any transfer, and a potential return to Tottenham, will be decided by Kane alone.

“He’s old enough to make his own decisions,” he is quoted saying at the press conference today.

“Whether it’s a clause or no clause, whatever – if he says he wants to make a decision, then he’ll make it, as he showed at Tottenham. But our wish is, of course, to be very, very successful with Harry this season and in the future!

“At his age, he’s making huge progress on the pitch. We all knew him from Tottenham from his goal-scoring skills, but the way he’s playing football right now in this team, leading the way on the pitch as a leader, sacrificing himself for the team, shows: He simply wants to win titles! That’s his hunger, he can do it with us, we want to do it with him.”

Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has admitted he spoke to Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou about their time at Tottenham following their Europa League meeting on Wednesday evening.

Estadio Deportivo cover comments from the Argentine midfielder today in which he hints at something of a confrontation with his former Tottenham manager.

Lo Celso and Postecoglou worked together at Spurs during the Australian’s first spell at the club, with the midfielder making 24 appearances, totalling 613 minutes, under him in total.

He was never a part of Postecoglou’s long-term plans at Tottenham, and eventually headed back to Betis last summer in a €5m deal.

It brought an end to a miserable time at Tottenham for him, having arrived in a €32m deal in 2020 but failing to establish himself under various managers in the four years he was there, including Postecoglou.

He’s now getting back on track at Betis, where he’s been a key player for Manuel Pellegrini since his arrival.

That was the case again this week as they took on Nottingham Forest and Postecoglou in the Europa League, something which gave Lo Celso an opportunity to speak to his former manager.

“Well, yes, we had… we were there for a while together at Tottenham, and the truth is that there were some things that were left up in the air, but we’ve talked about them,” he said.

“No, no, nothing, things that happened during the time we shared together. But nothing, now I wish him and his club the best.”

Manor Solomon has played just 29 minutes for Villarreal so far. Despite that he’s already seen as a great signing for the Spanish club.

The 26-year-old arrived at Tottenham Hotspur as a free agent in 2023. Last season he was on loan at Leeds United in the Championship and did well for the Yorkshire club. Indeed there were many Leeds fans who wanted him to return this summer but they didn’t get their way.

Instead Solomon moved to Villarreal on September 1st in a season long loan deal. He made his debut at the against Osasuna. In just 23 minutes he managed to pick up an assist for the winner.

Then on Tuesday he got just six minutes away to Sevilla. The home crowd had made clear they’d be hostile to Solomon in advance. That he’s from Israel and various comments served as enough reason for an all out attack.

Those six minutes proved key and the Tottenham player scored the winner.

‘He stole the limelight…’

Diario de Noticias state: ‘Manor Solomon’s emergence at Villarreal can only be described as spectacular from a footballing perspective.’

Some Villarreal supporters questioned the signing when it happened but that’s quietened somewhat now.

The newspaper goes on to say: ‘He stole the limelight. On and off the pitch. In the 86th minute, he scored the goal that sealed the match in his team’s favour.’