Cartilage Free Captain

ESPN is hardly the bastion of top-notch sports journalism the way it is for a lot of American sports, so I sure hope their Brazilian wing is a little more reliable? ESPN Brazil is reporting that Savinho, currently at Manchester City, is ready and willing to move to Tottenham Hotspur and play under Roberto De Zerbi.

The article claims that Savinho had his doubts about joining last summer, when Spurs were actively trying to convince him to come, but he’s convinced by the project this summer and is willing to make the switch for additional playing time. The article claims Spurs will likely make a bid for Savinho next week and suggest it should be in the realm of €60m (£52m).

I’d sure like this to be true! Tottenham, for what it’s worth, seem to be moving very quickly this off-season and working to get a bunch of signings across the line before the World Cup kicks off next week. That’d be super nice, and I’m already on record as thinking Savio would be outstanding in Tottenham’s forward line under Roberto De Zerbi.

Maybe this is true, maybe it isn’t. But I’ve seen several reports circulating lately that suggest Savinho is ready to leave City for more playing time and would be more than happy to get that time at Tottenham Hotspur next season. That feels pretty good. Hopefully we can get him signed and confirmed as soon as possible, because that boy nice and I would like to subscribe to his newsletter.

There are two kinds of transfer rumors I generally post on Cartilage Free Captain. One type looks at rumors that drop from reliable to semi-reliable sources that have real connections, making them plausible to write and/or talk about. This is a distinction from the numerous Bat Country rumors emerge like demons from a Hellgate with frightening regularity and that we generally ignore until (if?) they end up being repeated from a reliable or semi-reliable source.

Which then brings me to the OTHER kind of transfer rumor I like to post, which is “this is a badly sourced rumor that probably isn’t real but I’d like it to happen” rumor. That’s what this one is. There is a twitter report from Pedro Almeida, ostensibly a Portuguese journalist with Connections™, that says that Tottenham Hotspur have made a €50m bid for 23-year-old Como attacking midfielder Martin Baturina.

I do not know if this is a real rumor or not, but Martin Baturina is an amazing player, would be an excellent addition to Tottenham Hotspur’s playing squad, and I would like this to happen very, very much, thank you.

When you think of Como, you probably first think of Dele, who had a brief loan there as he tried to resurrect his playing career. Think a little harder and you’ll remember this is the home club of Nico Paz, a midfielder whom Spurs tried to sign last summer, and who is very likely going to be sold to one of the big Spanish clubs for an astronomical fee this summer.

Como has a lot of good players, and Baturina is one of them. In his first season at Como after signing from Dinamo Zagreb last summer, Baturina has tallied 8G+4A in all competitions, including World Cup qualifiers. He’s a full Croatia international who was named part of Croatia’s World Cup squad. He’s also extremely passy, and there are people in Carty Free’s Slack chat that say he’s about as close to a Christian Eriksen analogue as Spurs are likely to get in today’s transfer marketplace.

Check out his passing and chance creation statistics. Me likey.

He’s apparently had some finishing issues this season, so his shot and shot conversion numbers look a little less exciting. He played most of his minutes at Como (2100 minutes all told) in the attacking band, either centrally or as a left sided inside forward. In that role he appears to have served in a role better suited to assisting his teammates than getting his owns shots.

But the Green Bars speak for themselves somewhat — Baturina is a good young player who if Spurs don’t sign him first will likely end up at a Bayern, Barca, or Madrid in a few years, assuming his production continues to rise and he continues to improve.

That said there’s a giant Nico Paz-sized obstacle in the way of this transfer rumor being a thing. If Paz is sold for big money this summer, the sense is that Como are going to want to try and retain the remaining good players they do have so they can eventually sell them again for big money, and Baturina looks poised to be one of Como’s future stars. Now, that’s not necessarily to say that Spurs can’t buy him even if Paz goes — famously, football players and clubs both like money and that’s something Spurs definitely still have, even after two 17th placed finishes.

Como, however, is unlikely to want to part with him so it’ll probably take an overpay to get him and his club on board. I’m actually okay with Spurs overpaying for someone like Baturina in this case — Spurs are in a situation where they might need to overpay for the players that they really, really want. But if they’re going to spend northwards of €50m for a player like Baturina, we better hope that they’ve nailed their scouting because it’s a big, big swing.

Thankfully, I think Baturina is probably the real deal and I’d be okay for purchasing a player with his skillset, ability, and potential. With Xavi Simons out for at least the rest of the calendar year, James Maddison only barely healthy and also ageing, and Dejan Kulusevski being… well, whatever he is right now, signing a new attacking midfielder would make a ton of sense, especially one with such high upside as Baturina.

Again, I’m not saying this rumor is real, accurate, or even exists. But I hope it is, because I think a player like Baturina is exactly what Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham Hotspur need to improve. If Spurs haven’t actually bid for him, they should.

TRUSTEE OF DANIEL LEVY’S FAMILY TRUST AGREES SALE OF 24.99% STAKE IN TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR PARENT COMPANY

London, 5 June 2026 — Eight Sports Capital Limited today announces the signing of a sale and purchase agreement to acquire a 24.99% interest in ENIC Sports and Development Holdings Limited (“ENIC”), the parent company of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

The transaction is structured through the acquisition from Oakchester Limited of the entire issued share capital of Walburg Holdings Limited and Larkin Ltd pursuant to the sale and purchase agreement. The target companies together beneficially hold 24.99% of the issued ordinary share capital of ENIC. Oakchester Limited is owned by Whitmill Trust Company (Gilbraltar) Limited, acting as trustee of the Levy Children’s Trust and the Walburg Discretionary Trust, which are family trusts established for the benefit of Daniel Levy’s children.

A spokesperson for Eight Sports Capital Limited stated: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement to acquire a significant stake in ENIC. We look forward to working with the Club’s shareholders, management, staff, players, and fans to support Tottenham Hotspur’s continued growth and success.”

The parties have agreed that no further public comment will be made regarding the commercial terms of the transaction.

-ENDS-

”Andy is someone I’ve admired for a number of years and he will bring outstanding technical qualities, experience, leadership and mentality to our team.

”He is a proven winner at the highest level over a long period and is someone who can be a big player for us, both on and off the pitch.

“I can’t wait to start working with him and seeing the positive impact he will have on everyone around him.”

There were times in 2020 and 2021, when Covid-19 sank into the darkness, that I would visit a park in Connecticut, stare across the pond and out into the sky, look beyond the darkness and ask what lay beyond it. Beyond the darkness there was one voice I heard: Bruce Springsteen’s.

For months I prayed this terrible pandemic would end. I prayed for a sunny day, for the clouds to pass and for the sun to shine through my world. As I dreamt the moments where I crept towards the light on the edge of town, I heard Springsteen’s voice on the other side of it.

And I resolved, dammit, I resolved to see The Boss when the Darkness gave.

It was only four years before then where my father’s copy of Born In the USA became. I would spin it in my flat on Mazenod Avenue, a stone’s throw away from Kilburn High Road and an eternity away from where I wanted to be. I felt so lonely but, as the needle touched the vinyl, the sounds of Springsteen’s America perforated through my tiny flat.

I felt less alone. I felt like dancing.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part one: Dancing In the Dark, by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen sings for the kids born on the wrong side of the tracks, for the youths whose draft cards were pulled during the Vietnam War, and for all those running down a last-gasp chance at the American Dream - whatever that Dream might be.

And wherever it might be.

I would sit in my flat, all by myself in London, and dream of a better life. And I would sit on that park bench in Connecticut for this Darkness Got To Give. I dreamt of Springsteen.

Six years later - and after a 70-minute queue to get into the stadium - the Darkness gave.

I missed the first handful of songs of Springsteen’s concert in Washington DC. I entered the Promised Land as The Boss played on the harmonica in the aforementioned song. And then, as Hungry Heart played across the rain-soaked ballpark, the clouds that darkened the skies of Connecticut all those years ago broke wide open. The sun shone through, the rain filled the air.

Because, to me, listening to Springsteen is like listening to the triumphs of a journey and the journey’s destination to come. To listen to him is to listen to sunlight.

And, as the rain fell down in Navy Yard, I felt my eyes well up.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part two: Hungry Heart, by Bruce Springsteen

Perhaps this was the accumulation of years, so many years, of one of the kids to whom Springsteen sings to.

That, no matter what, there’ll be Better Days. The Glory Days may come and go, but Springsteen’s music is inherently optimistic and joyful. And what better, more powerful song to break through the darkness than the fist-pumping Badlands?

Listen to the song, rev up your motorcycle, drive up the I-95 and into the sunset. Break through into the darkness. Break into the night and god dammit, crank up the Springsteen baby.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part three: Badlands, by Bruce Springsteen

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “Why Tottenham want to sign Van Hecke and Senesi and what transfers mean for Vuskovic and Romero”

Big news from the Ornacle this morning — Tottenham Hotspur have apparently placed a bid — and had it rejected — for Brighton’s 25-year-old Dutch central defender Jan Paul van Hecke. If confirmed, Van Hecke would be the second central defender to join Tottenham’s back line this summer, if we include the impending signing of Bournemouth CB Marcos Senesi.

First — Van Hecke is an excellent player and would be a very, very solid addition to Tottenham’s back line. He has one year left on his current deal and has apparently rejected a contract extension. Van Hecke has developed into one of the most well-rounded defenders in the Premier League, with an emphasis on progressive play. That probably means Brighton could be motivated to cash in on him for a decent fee, only to then turn around and sign some nobody from the Danish third division who will become the future best central defender in Europe. It’s what Brighton does. H

But Van Hecke would also serve a pretty important role in Roberto De Zerbi’s back line. De Zerbi has worked with him before as Brighton manager and thus has a pretty good idea of what he can bring to the table — solid defense, ball progression, and most of all, passing from deep positions. He scored 3 goals and tallied 3 assists for Brighton last season, pretty good for a defender. He averages nearly 9 completed final third passes per 90 min and is a FANTASTIC progressive outlet from deep. He’d be a very good signing for Tottenham Hotspur.

It does, however, bring up some questions as the opening of the transfer window beckons. Specifically, I wonder about the futures of both Cuti Romero and Luka Vuskovic, but moreso I wonder about whether this signifies that De Zerbi is planning on Tottenham playing with a back three formation next season. We know De Zerbi likes progressive play and buildup, and he’s mentioned his preference for a defender with good passing metrics — Van Hecke certainly meets that brief. You can see a potential starting lineup with Van Hecke, Senesi, and Micky van de Ven anchoring the defense, with Destiny Udogie/Andrew Robertson and Pedro Porro operating as wing backs.

The article doesn’t say how much Tottenham’s bid was, only that it was below Van Hecke’s value and was rejected, but talks continue. And if talks are continuing, that means it’s very likely that Van Hecke will eventually be sold for a reasonable fee. Ornstein also notes that Van Hecke is one of three Brighton players, along with Bart Verbruggen and defensive midfielder Carlos Baleba, expected to leave the club this summer. Not coincidentally, Spurs have been tentatively linked with all three players.

If Spurs are able to land and sign both Van Hecke and Senesi before the transfer window even starts, it’s a significant overhaul of the defense and could signal that De Zerbi is planning on selling Romero after the World Cup. As for Luka Vuskovic, he could come into the team as a reserve CB, or head back out on loan for another year of seasoning at a top continental European club. Or, as is the running joke at Carty Free Towers, maybe De Zerbi will just play him at striker. I think he could do it.

We’d also be adding another tow-head to compete with Sweden international midfielder Lucas Bergvall (and, technically, also Richarlison). Spurs Women have become known as the “blonde ponytail club” for the number of (frequently Nordic) players with similar hair color and styles. Why not the men, too? More blonde bitches for Tottenham Hotspur!

Good morning, everyone.

We’re still in the weird space between the end of club football and the beginning of the World Cup, so we need to find other things to talk about.

How about college baseball? Okay, if you say so.

There have been a few major developments in the NCAA Division 1 Championship this year. Are any bigger than the St John’s Red Storm advancing to the Super Regional?

St John’s advanced to the next stage in the College championship by beating Florida State twice and by beating Northern Illinois.

Now, I have no idea how this tournament works. Apparently a win in the super regional takes the Johnnies to the College World Series, except that it’s actually like eight or so teams.

Anyways, this is the best season St John’s has had in years. So it’s an exciting time for us. Get hyped!

Fitzie’s track of the day: Dirty Laundry, by Bitter Sweet

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “Vicario, Kinsky and Austin - If Tottenham and De Zerbi will keep, sell or loan their goalkeepers”

The Guardian: “Millwall publish ‘Pride playbook’ to help clubs form stronger links with LGBTQ+ teams”

BBC: “The anatomy of a Golden Boot winner - and who could win it in 2026?”

After an underwhelming spell on loan with Tottenham Hotspur this spring, there doesn’t appear to be a world where Spurs end up re-loaning or signing PSG winger Randal Kolo Muani this summer. That’s not at all surprising, as despite getting numerous starting opportunities in Tottenham’s run-in, ol’ Randy Kilo Miami disappointed, scoring one goal league goal and one assist despite making 21 starts. Not great!

It appears that another club is interested in Randy, though, and it’s a familiar one to him — Juventus. According Sky, Juventus want to bring Kolo Muani back to Italy in what would be his second stint after spending part of 2025 on loan there.

Why am I writing a quick article about a loan player nobody especially liked and whom Tottenham aren’t interested in signing? Well, it’s a slow news and I figured someone would find it interesting. Even if we don’t find Randy particularly interesting anymore, he’s still a human being and I hope he’s able to find a club that fits his skillset and that he can use to kick-start his career. Italy is a slower league and I wonder if he’ll be better there than in the Best League in World Football.™

Good morning everyone and welcome to the latest edition of Fitzie’s Film and TV Reviews, where your hoddler-in-chief reviews things he’s seen on both the big and small screens.

We’ve got a good handful of movies and television programmes to catch up on since we last checked in. I would say most of the stuff I’ve seen has been only okay, so if you have any recommendations please send them along to me.

Hacks (Season 5): The final season of the comedy series starring Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a Las Vegas comic, and her asssitant-turned-writer-turned-confidant Ava Daniels (played by Hannah Einbinder). The final series follows Vance’s blacklisting from late night and her triumphant return. It’s never easy finishing a series, and there were times when I felt the writing felt a little bit too forced, but overall a solid showing. The final episode was particular strong balancing melancholy, humour and some touching moments.

Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans: Much better than I feared, but faltered towards the end and failed to trust the players to actually play the game. Plus, 26 days doesn’t work as a format - especially with its largest cast ever. Still, it was fun to see legends like Ozzie and Colby return to the island one last time.

The Rooster: This is clearly HBO’s answer to Ted Lasso and Shrinking. It stars Steve Carrell, who returns to teach at a university with his daughter Katie Russo (played by Charlie Clive), who is going through the dissolution of her marriage with Archie (played by Phil Dunster of, yes, Ted Lasso). It’s an unchallenging series that’s easy to get through. It’s nice to see Carrell do some more comedy after his dramatic roles, but there isn’t a whole lot there.

Taskmaster (Series 21): The latest Taskmaster installment features a stacked cast, led by Kumail Nanjiani, Joana Page and Armando Iannucci. Some of the tasks feel a bit flat but it’s Taskmaster - it’s always great fun. Joel Dommett and Amy Gledhill are great to watch also.

Silicon Valley: It took me a while to get into this one, but I’m liking it. I’m currently in the middle of Season 4. The character who I struggle with the most is TJ Miller. He seems like a popular guy within the broader fanbase, but I’m having a hard time with him. The others are all great fun though.

Nuremberg: A trainwreck of a film that doesn’t know what kind of film it wants to be. Russell Crowe does an admirable job playing Herman Goring in the film that focuses on Goring’s testimony during the Nuremberg Trial. The writing is just awful, though, and Rami Malek’s performance as psychiatrist Douglas Kelley feels so contrived. There is very little to like about this one. Of all the movies documenting this period in history, you’d be forgiven for giving this one a pass.

The Hand of God: I wanted to enjoy watching Paolo Sorrentino’s love letter to Napoli, I really did. But I just couldn’t. This film captures the period when Maradona signs for Napoli, but also the simultaneously cruelty and mercy that fate offers. I’ll give it another chance, but right now it’s tough. I know I’m the outlier here.

And now for your links:

If you would like an exercise on how to create a transfer rumor with minimal effort, the answer it seems is “be Gianluca DiMarzio and write one sentence about Guglielmo Vicario possibly going to Juventus.” That’s what we’ve got in this particular rumor, and yet here I am writing it up because, honestly, it seems pretty plausible.

Here’s what DiMarzio says about Vicario, run through the Google Translation Machine:

On the list for the door is also William Vicar of Tottenham, who the club continues to rate.

I could talk for several paragraphs about Vicario, how it sure seems like he’s out the door after a fairly underwhelming season capped by a late injury that just maybe put him behind Antonin Kinsky in the keeper pecking order, but we’ve heard all of that before. DiMarzio says that Vicario is a secondary option for Juventus as they search for a new keeper, but their primary target is Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez, currently at Aston Villa. And that’s pretty much it!

So instead let’s talk about the absolutely amazing discovery I made when I ran this article through Google Translate — apparently “Guglielmo Vicario” translates directly to “William Vicar” in English, and I’m kind of amazed I didn’t realize this before! Here at Carty Free Towers we latched on to “Googly Elmo” as a slight mispronunciation of Vicario’s first name, and as is typical for us we bit on that like a dog with a bone.

But William Vicar? Holy crap! That has so many possibilities — Willy the Priest, Bill Vic, Pastor Will — I’m a little disappointed that he might be actually out the door this summer and I won’t have enough time to actually maximize this revelation for clicks and views on the blog dot com.

“William Vicar” is one of a few soccer names that are great when run through the translation machine. The most famous one might be former City keeper Willy Caballero (“Bill Knight”), but there’s also Vincenzo “Vinny Italy” Italiano, and Niccolo “Nicky Beans” Fagioli, plus plenty others. Willy Vicar though stands out, and I’m so disappointed in myself that I only now came to this epiphany.

Alas. Anyway, Vicario might be sold.