Tottenham are reportedly set to open talks with a Brazilian goalkeeper over a potential January transfer window switch, while they have also learned the result of Rodrigo Bentancur’s appeal to reduce his seven-match ban.
Spurs No.1 Guglielmo Vicario has been out injured since the 4-0 rout of Manchester City, with veteran stopper Fraser Forster taking over his spot for the last six games in all competitions.
Although the 36-year-old has performed very well in those outings, Forster will be out of contract next summer and there was always a feeling that Tottenham might try and find another stopper to compete with Vicario in the new year and beyond.
And a report from CaughtOffside claims that the north London giants are expected to open talks to sign Botafogo’s John Victor, who has been attracting interest from big clubs recently.
The report claims that Manchester United are also eyeing a move to sign the giant 6ft 5in stopper, along with top Turkish outfit Galatasaray.
It has further been revealed that Victor will be available for as little as €9-10million (£7.4-8.2m) in the January transfer window, which is more than affordable for a Tottenham side who are expected to be fairly active in the winter window.
This news comes as no real surprise, given that Vicario is likely to remain sidelined until February or March time with the fractured ankle that he actually played on and made worse against City.
As for Victor, the 28-year-old former Brazil youth international has spent a fair bit of his playing career as a backup option but has now made over 50 appearances for Botafogo as their first-choice stopper in the Brazilian Serie A. If he does sign, Victor could become the second Brazilian goalkeeper to play for the club after Heurelho Gomes spent three years in north London between 2008-11.
Bentancur has ban appeal rejected
Meanwhile, Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur will serve the final two matches of his seven-match ban after the Football Association dismissed his appeal.
The Uruguay midfielder was given the ban in November for using a racial slur about team-mate Son Heung-min on television. Spurs accepted the judgment but then appealed against the severity of the suspension.
However, the appeal was dismissed following a hearing and Bentancur will now miss the upcoming matches against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Thursday and Sunday’s Premier League clash against leaders Liverpool.
The former Juventus star is, however, able to continue in the Europa League as his ban only applies to domestic competitions.
Anti-racism organisations Kick It Out and The Frank Soo Foundation reflected on the matter coming to an end and revealed that have received more reports about Tottenham’s decision to appeal Bentancur’s ban than the original incident itself.
In a shared statement, the groups said they hope Spurs “reflect on its decision” as the episode has been “upsetting for many fans”.
Latest Tottenham news: Postecoglou future update / Leeds defender on January radar
Reliable reporter David Ornstein has delivered an emphatic update on the future of Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham manager.
Spurs thumped Southampton 5-0 on Sunday to deliver the club’s first Premier League win since November 23 (Manchester City – 4-0) – a timely win given the pressure that was starting to mount on Postecoglou.
However, when speaking to NBC Sports Soccer, trusted journalist David Ornstein revealed what TT have already reported about Tottenham’s belief that Postecoglou remains the right man for the job.
Meanwhile, Tottenham could be back in business with Leeds United in 2025 after a crucial defender in Daniel Farke’s squad supposedly caught their attention – and that of two Premier League rivals.
Spurs are really struggling for depth at centre-back at the moment and are expected to be in the market for another defender in the new year, with Leeds standout Pascal Struijk said to be on their radar.