Tottenham are reportedly ready to turn to Serie A again in their search for defensive reinforcements, with an Atalanta right-back on their radar amid growing concerns of Pedro Porro’s future.
The Spaniard is attracting plenty of interest from Real Madrid again after Dani Carvajal suffered a season-ending ACL injury, along with Liverpool and England star Trent Alexander-Arnold.
There have been reports of a €65m (£54.4m / $71.1m) bid being negotiated between Real and Tottenham for Porro, with the player himself recently opening up on the transfer speculation.
“Of course I’m proud with these links, it means I’m doing things well,” said Porro. “If that happens one day, it happens. Now I’m fully focused on my club Tottenham”.
It appears, though, that Spurs could be planning for the worst-case scenario for a player who is now one of the first names on Ange Postecoglou’s team sheet – such has been his improvement over the last 12 months.
And, according to Inter Live, the north London outfit have placed Atalanta’s Raoul Bellanova on their shortlist, with the Italy international having been watched by Tottenham’s former sporting director Fabio Paratici – who still plays a major advisory role over top talent in his homeland.
Bellanova played in the Champions League final against Manchester City in 2023 while on loan at Inter and has been an ever-present at Atalanta so far this season.
Indeed, the 24-year-old has emerged as a key player for Gian Piero Gasperini, notching a goal and an assist in nine appearances featuring at right wing-back – with two of those outings in the Champions League.
All hands on Tottenham deck to keep Porro on board
Tottenham are currently in the process of rebuilding their first-team squad under Postecoglou, who only wants players on board capable of playing his high-octane brand of football.
The likes of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert and Dominic Solanke all arrived over the summer and Spurs are expected to be active again when the winter window rolls around.
Another central defender, a full-back and a central midfielder are the main areas being looked at and Italy has become a common hunting ground for the club in recent years.
That being said, Daniel Levy is sure to do all he can to keep hold of Porro for the time being. The 25-year-old has gone from a bit of a laughing stock when he first arrived at the club on loan to becoming one of the Premier League’s best right-backs.
Some credit for that must go to Postecoglou in terms of Porro being utilised so well further forward and becoming an extra attacker from his defensive role.
And while his defending remains a work in progress, the mere fact that Real are even looking at the former Sporting star tells the story of how much his game has improved.
The price tag mentioned above of around £54m would likely be the bare minimum if Tottenham did decide to cash in, although Postecoglou would surely fight that decision.
Latest Tottenham transfer news: Dortmund winger on Ange’s radar / Eze move latest
Spurs and Liverpool have reportedly been told the asking price for top Bundesliga talent Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who is currently making a huge name for himself at Borussia Dortmund.
The England Under-21 international is currently being chased by multiple clubs after scoring four goals and adding two assists in all competitions for Dortmund this season. But it’s in the Champions League where is currently making the biggest impressions, notching two times in as many outings for the German side.
And while Dortmund are not willing to sanction the sale of Bynoe-Gittens in the January transfer window, any clubs prepared to wait until the summer of 2025 have learned how much the exciting attacker will cost.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are interested in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze but will face competition from Tottenham and other sides for his signature, per reports.
As confirmed by journalist Fabrizio Romano, Eze’s release clause of around £60m will re-activate in 2025 and Man Utd are in the mix to sign him. Romano has also revealed that Man Utd are ‘keeping a close eye’ on Eze ahead of the January transfer window, while he has ‘always been appreciated by Tottenham.’
IN FOCUS – Bellanova a player on the rise
Having started his career with Bordeaux in France, it’s only since he returned to his homeland that Bellanova’s career has really taken off.
In terms of his playing style, multiple scouting reports describe Bellanova as a physically strong and fast attack-minded right-back who also has good defensive positioning and reads the game well.
He has also been known to fill in at centre-back in the past, news that will be music to Postecoglou’s ears given how flexible he loves his players to be.