A disgraced Tottenham Hotspur official who remains banned from football by FIFA is keen on returning to a role in Italy and has also held talks with other Premier League sides, according to a new report.
Tottenham eye Serie A reinforcements once again
Tottenham have developed a knack for recruiting talent from Serie A in recent years, with Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario all making the switch from Italy’s top flight. Now, the Lilywhites are reported to have their eyes on another Serie A star in the form of Como's Nico Paz.
According to The Boot Room, Tottenham are now plotting a summer move to sign Paz, who has been one of the division's breakout stars this year, scoring six goals and producing four assists in 25 games for Cesc Fabregas' side.
Spurs, however, will face competition from Arsenal for the 20-year-old, who joined Como from Real Madrid back in August, while Madrid themselves also possess the option to buy him back. Fabregas also made it clear back in January that he wants Paz to stay at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, and that the club are ready to turn down big offers for his signature.
“Nico is a Como player. Real Madrid can buy him back, but only at a set price," the former Arsenal midfielder said in a press conference.
“Even if Real Madrid doesn’t want to buy him back, Como won’t sell him—not for €40 or €50 million," he added. "We’re building a future and an identity with this group of young talents, ensuring that in three or four years, Como will be a highly competitive team."
Paratici in talks with new clubs and unlikely to return to Spurs
The man responsible for bringing the likes of Kulusevski and Udogie to Tottenham was Fabio Paratici, who served as the club's managing director of football between June 2021 and April 2023. Paratici was forced to step down from his role after being found guilty of financial malpractice while he was the sporting director and managing director at Juventus.
Initially, he was banned for 30 months from only Italian football, but FIFA later extended the ban to apply worldwide, making him unable to continue working for Spurs. Paratici has had an appeal against his conviction rejected, but can return to working in football in the summer, while he has still been able to work as an advisor to Spurs in the mean time.
When he does return however, a new report from Tuttosport, per Sports Witness, claims that Paratici will not return to Tottenham for good. The publication claims that a return to North London in a permanent capacity would be "difficult" despite him having a very good relationship with the club’s upper management, and that the 52-year-old will instead seek a move back to Italy.
AC Milan are said to be interested in Paratici, while he's also held talks with other Premier League sides despite his preference to return to working in his homeland.