Sport Witness

Manchester City made an approach for Luka Vušković before Tottenham Hotspur agreed a deal for him.

That’s according to the 17-year-old, and he revealed Manchester City interest during a chat with Het Nieuwsblad.

In September 2023, Tottenham agreed a deal with Hajduk Split for the defender to arrive at the north London club in the summer of 2025, once he turns 18 years of age.

The incoming Tottenham player spent the second half of last season on loan at Polish side Radomiak Radom and joined KVC Westerlo on another loan deal last summer.

The centre-back has starred for the Jupiler Pro League side this season and contributed to the attack, scoring six goals and registering one assist from 20 games.

Although he’s yet to arrive at Spurs, the Belgian outlet asked whether they could treat him like if he were at Tottenham. When responding to that, the Croatia U21 international revealed Manchester City’s approach and how his move to Tottenham took shape.

“Of course, anytime. How those first contacts went? I was at a bit of an impasse at Hajduk Split. Training with the first team was no longer an option. Everyone already assumed that I would leave. Then the cash register would ring,” he said.

“Anyway, they have to contact you first of course. Manchester City were the first club to register. Immediately afterwards my father told me that Spurs were also interested and that a very nice process was available for me. When I heard the details, I was convinced.”

The defender’s aim is to play alongside Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero at Spurs, but as of now he isn’t clear about the Premier League side’s plan for him next season.

“What is the exact plan today? I’ll see. [Go out] On loan? Come back? I’m just going to do what the club asks of me,” Vušković explained.

“That a lot of central defenders are injured in London? I know that, yes (laughs). Playing alongside Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero is a dream. Then you automatically start making progression. You have to because the Premier League is a very intense competition.”

Manchester City are ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in the race to sign RC Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov in the winter market.

The defender made 16 appearances this season and has been one of the standout players for the Ligue 1 side.

His performances have seen Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle and other clubs take notice.

That’s according to L’Equipe, who say Tottenham and Newcastle were ‘very interested’ in the 20-year-old at the start of this window.

Spurs and Eddie Howe’s side have ‘thrown in the towel’ in the last few hours because of the tough competition from Manchester City.

Citizens sporting director Txiki Begiristain has informally mentioned concrete talks with Khusanov’s entourage, and his side are discussing the figures. At this moment in time, the French club haven’t received any offers for their star player.

Lens have given super-agent Jorge Mendes a mandate to get a convincing offer for the Uzbekistan international and the report claims they aren’t willing to let him leave for less than €40m.

Pep Guardiola’s side are inclined to meet Lens’ request and L’Equipe suggest their bid could arrive this weekend. They are also working on signing Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis and this deal will not impact their efforts to sign the Lens defender.

In short, Manchester City are set to beat both Tottenham and Newcastle to Khusanov’s signature.

Perhaps one of the last things Tottenham Hotspur want to spend next summer negotiating is Bryan Gil’s future.

The Premier League club will have long ago given up on the Spaniard fulfilling what they had hoped for him, and since then there’s been a series of loans which have never got close to becoming permanent transfers.

Gil has often started out really well on his loan moves, leading to praise going overboard and big predictions for his level in the future. Usually that form then drops off and Gill is sent back to Tottenham who then have to find a new home for the attacker.

He’s currently at Girona and even if he does well for them between now and the end of the season they don’t seem so keen on paying the €15m buying clause they agreed with Spurs.

Estadio Deportivo report Girona would be contemplating whether to use that clause or wait a little longer, going into negotiations with Tottenham, and then try to pressure the Premier League club downwards as the summer grows older.

It’s not a scenario Tottenham will want to spend too much time on.

Tottenham Hotspur currently find themselves 12th in the Premier League and will be looking to bolster their squad in the January transfer window.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani is one name that has been linked with Ange Postecoglou’s side.

There has been an indication that Tottenham could be a suitable destination for the Frenchman, better than others such as Juventus and AC Milan.

More information has emerged about Kolo Muani from TuttoJuve today, with the outlet stating that Spurs are working on a move for the PSG striker.

The Ligue 1 side want a fee of €60m to part ways with the player and even though the fee is not something Tottenham would pay, they are not going to give up on the chase quickly.

That is why Spurs made contact for Kolo Muani yesterday and they spoke to his entourage, as they attempted to beat competition from Juventus.

The situation seems to be open right now but the indication is clear that the Lilywhites are quite keen, with the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt said to be out of Luis Enrique’s project at PSG already.

TuttoJuve report they’ve found out Tottenham are also keen on Juventus’ Douglas Luiz, who arrived from Aston Villa in the summer, but haven’t yet made any efforts for him.

Last month, we covered claims from Italy that Tottenham Hotspur could be a ‘plausible’ destination for Milan Škriniar in the winter market. Spurs aren’t the only Premier League side as Aston Villa are also chasing the Paris Saint-Germain player.

That’s according to L’Equipe, and they cover Tottenham and Aston Villa interest in the defender.

The Slovakia international played five matches this season and his last appearance was against Toulouse on November 22nd.

Škriniar is on the exit ramp and has several options to pick from in the ongoing window. The report claims his agent was recently in Paris to negotiate his exit with the Ligue 1 side and there could be developments soon.

Galatasaray have been keen on signing the 29-year-old, but his high salary is a concern for the Turkish champions. Tottenham and Aston Villa have positioned themselves in the transfer battle and the player is attracted by the Premier League.

Škriniar is also talking to Napoli, but it’s not a given that he would be a starter under Antonio Conte.

The central defender will leave PSG on loan in January and is expected to pick his next destination ‘this week’. It’ll then be up to the interested party to find an agreement with PSG.

Tottenham Hotspur have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi over the past month.

The indication was that Spurs are willing to pay a significant amount to sign the Italian. This week has seen Frattesi linked with an exit from the Nerazzurri and there has been talk of interest from AS Roma.

Now, an update has emerged about Tottenham’s liking for the 25-year-old, who has played less than 600 minutes in Serie A this season.

Journalist Fabrizio Biasin spoke to Radio Sportiva and insisted that Inter are not interested in a January sale unless a massive offer arrives for the midfielder.

He said, as relayed by L’Interista: “Inter themselves have no intention of moving the boy, certainly not in January unless an admirer brings in €50m.

“I would rule out the possibility that he could leave, unless he is the one to tell the management that he no longer wants to stay at Inter. So far he hasn’t done so.”

Speaking specifically about Tottenham, the journalist said: “I can understand that in the future he will want to look for more space elsewhere, I don’t think for January.

“I read about Tottenham‘s interest but the management says no, they won’t move in January. Then it is always a question of money, with €50m anything can happen.”

It is quite clear that Ange Postecoglou’s side will have to shell out a massive fee to sign the Italy international.

Considering how Inter signed Frattesi from Sassuolo for a fee of €30m in 2023 and he hasn’t quite been a regular since joining, it doesn’t make sense to shell out about €50m to land him.

As a result, Spurs should look at other targets that perhaps do not cost as much as the Nerazzurri are aiming for.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing Palmeiras’ Richard Ríos in the winter market, according to Area Napoli.

The Brazil international was a regular for Palmeiras last year, making 49 appearances in all competitions, and missed 11 games due to his participation in the Copa América last summer.

Ríos’ performances have caught the attention of Tottenham, Napoli and other European clubs.

Area Napoli make it clear it’s their own information about Spurs’ interest in the defensive midfielder as they are looking to strengthen that position in this window.

It’s stated Tottenham have identified the Colombia international as a ‘concrete target’ and made an ‘official offer’ to buy him immediately, without mentioning the details of their bid.

The report states the Brazilian club have rejected Spurs’ proposal because they want to retain the player until the summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.

He’s likely to remain at Palmeiras until the end of this season and if that were to happen, the Serie A side could evaluate signing Ríos in the summer.

On Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur completed the signing of goalkeeper Antonín Kinský from Slavia Prague and secure him to a deal until 2031.

The 21-year-old, who was on loan at lower division Czech side MFK Vyškov from February 2022 to June 2023, is thrilled to have joined Tottenham.

Infotbal had a chat with the new Spurs signing, who insists he was always confident of securing a big move.

“It’s fast. When I talk to my family and friends, this is exactly what we talk about. A year and a half ago I left Vyškov and in that time I’ve come to London and I’m wearing the Tottenham shirt,” he said.

“It’s beautiful. But I believed it was going to happen, I went for it. When you put your mind to something and give it your all, it just works. That’s what’s been proven to me. I appreciate it a lot, but I’m not surprised.”

In November, Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario picked up an ankle injury and is set for a long spell on the sidelines.

Ange Postecoglou has relied on Fraser Forster in the Italian’s absence and Kinský could now provide competition to Forester.

On Wednesday, the north London club host Liverpool in the EFL Cup semi-final and ahead of this tie, the new stopper has sent a message to the Tottenham manager.

“I haven’t even unpacked my bag yet, but every next game is on my mind. I’ll prepare so that I’m ready. And if the coach decides to point at me, I’ll be ready. I feel great. I’m calm in my head. I want to pick up where I left off,” Kinský explained.

The Czech Republic U21 international arrives at Tottenham after impressing for Slavia Prague this season, keeping 14 clean sheets and conceding 18 goals from 29 matches.

Ange Postecoglou will be hoping for the new arrival to extend his fine form when given opportunities at Tottenham.

Despite featuring regularly for Slavia Prague, Kinský claims it would have been difficult to turn down Tottenham.

“In half a year, I experienced so much at Slavia, which I haven’t experienced in my entire life, if I talk about those emotions and experiences,” he added.

“It was great, I really enjoyed it. I believed that it would take longer, I wanted to achieve success and the title, but such an offer came that I could not refuse.”

Most clubs right now are looking to see how they can improve their squads during the January window, hoping for better in the second half of the current season.

Tottenham Hotspur will certainly be one of those clubs, with Ange Postecoglou’s side facing a series of problems so far this season. A sickness bug is the latest issue facing Spurs and may have been one of the reasons they lost to Newcastle United on Saturday.

Currently 12th and with their plans for this season largely in tatters at this stage, Postecoglou will be hoping for multiple additions before the window closes.

There’s also been talk of exits, and Girona are looking to agree a permanent deal with Tottenham for Bryan Gil. He’s currently on loan at the Spanish club and doing reasonably well, so they’d like to keep him around.

However, Girona don’t want to use their €15m buying clause, instead preferring to negotiate a lower fee with Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur have received encouragement to sign Getafe’s Omar Alderete after his agent opened the door for a transfer in the winter market.

Renato Bittar, the centre-back’s agent, has confirmed interest from the Premier League, and La Razón relay his comments and mention Spurs as the interested party.

On December 11th, we covered claims from South America which stated Tottenham are looking at the 28-year-old.

Two days later, AS reported Ange Postecoglou has requested the Premier League side sign the defender in January and his €16m release clause is affordable for Tottenham.

Bittar claims four English clubs are looking to sign the Paraguay international but hasn’t mentioned the details of these clubs.

“There are four clubs in England that want him. It’s time to take the leap. If not now, he will leave Getafe in the summer,” he said.

La Razón also state the former Celtic manager has asked Tottenham to bring Alderete to the club to improve their defence.

Getafe president Ángel Torres has referred to Alderete’s €16m release clause, but the report suggests he could soften his stance as the Spanish club have to sell if they want to carry out new signings in January.

If the South American were to leave this month, Getafe will consider replacing him with Real Madrid’s Jesús Vallejo.