Sport Witness

Espanyol have not informed Tottenham they wish to end striker Alejo Veliz’s contract this month, and he will finish the season with the Spanish side.

That’s according to journalist Juan Asensio, who reports that the striker’s entourage are assuring he will not be returning to Tottenham in the January transfer window.

Veliz has been on loan at Espanyol since the summer, with the plan for him to spend the season on loan in Spain to further his development and get the gametime that was unavailable to him at Tottenham.

That has not quite worked out so far, with the 21-year-old only managing 927 minutes of action across 16 appearances in all competitions so far.

That had led to reports that Tottenham may look to end the loan deal this month now that the transfer window is open once again.

A report today in Spain then stated that the youngster was in the ‘revolving door’ at Espanyol and had been allowed to skip training this week, the only one in the squad granted such a permission, hinting that a transfer back to Tottenham was on the cards.

Asensio insists that there is no plan at the moment, though, or at least not one being initiated by Espanyol.

“Espanyol have NOT asked Tottenham to break Alejo Veliz’s loan,” he reported on his account on X.

“The player’s entourage assures that he will stay at Barcelona until the end of the season.”

Last summer, Tottenham Hotspur secured an option to buy Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso as a part of the Giovani Lo Celso deal.

On Boxing Day, Diario de Sevilla stated Spurs, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and an unnamed club are ‘really interested’ in the midfielder. It was also said the clause give Tottenham the upper hand as they can buy him for €30m in June.

Recent claims have talked about the possibility of the 23-year-old leaving the La Liga side in January due to the growing interest from the Premier League and the Serie A.

Marca have published an interview with the Tottenham target, where they asked him how he feels about these exit links.

“I feel good, this motivates me even more to continue working, evolving and seeking to achieve great goals,” he said.

The newspaper didn’t specify any clubs, but state that clubs from England and Italy are keeping an eye on him, and then asked the American if this can make him lose focus.

Responding to that, Cardoso explained: “Not for me, I have a very calm head about this, I try to stay focused on the present and continue working to help Betis, I leave that in the hands of my father and my agent.”

Marca point out the player has an €80m release clause in his Real Betis contract that lasts until 2029.

When asked if this figure scares him, the midfielder said: “Yes, these numbers are scary, but I don’t think about it much, I always try to keep a calm mind.”

Tottenham have secured an option to sign Cardoso for an affordable price of around €30m later this year.

Dejan Kulusevski has been a shining light for Tottenham Hotspur in a frustrating season.

He has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in all competitions this season.

The Swede is thriving in a central role under Ange Postecoglou and it seems there is interest in the 24-year-old.

MilanLive report AC Milan are monitoring the situation with the player and their interest is carried forward by Kulusevski’s compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is club owner Gerry Cardinale’s right hand man.

Ibrahimovic is said to have already made contacts for the ex-Juventus player, who is considering an exit from Tottenham. He isn’t happy with the season Spurs are having and is reportedly starting to look elsewhere.

Postecoglou’s side will not go below €50m in their valuation for Kulusevski. Milan first want to sell Samuel Chukwueze and once that situation is resolved, they will look to make an initial loan move for the Sweden star.

Tottenham have ‘made inquiries’ about Barcelona’s Dani Olmo, should he become a free agent on January 1st.

That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who report that Tottenham are one of several clubs to have been in touch about the Spanish star.

The newspaper reports that Olmo’s current situation ‘transcends borders’ as he gears up to become a free agent at the beginning of January thanks to a court ruling against Barcelona this week.

That means they are unable to register their big summer signing and if that issue is not resolved, he will become an official free agent at the turn of the new year.

Mundo Deportivo have learned that several teams are ‘very attentive’ to the situation and would be keen to sign him on a free in January if they are able to do so.

Tottenham are one of the sides in the mix and have ‘made inquiries’ about the 26-year-old ahead of him potentially entering the market.

Olmo, for now, knows he is one of the ‘great desires’ o the market but has decided to ignore the overtures coming his way. His intention has always been to see out his deal with Barcelona, which runs until 2030.

He has always wanted to play for the Blaugrana, and any other outcome would be the ‘biggest disappointment of his sporting career’.

The matter could be taken out of his hands if Barcelona can’t find a way to fix it, though, and Tottenham are one of the sides lurking ready to take advantage if they can’t.

Tottenham Hotspur initially took Timo Werner on a loan deal from RB Leipzig in the winter 2024 market and extended his temporary stay in the summer window.

The forward has failed to impress for Spurs this season as he managed a goal and three assists from 23 games and hasn’t scored from 16 Premier League matches.

There’s been suggestions the 28-year-old could leave Tottenham in the next window and Bild provides the latest.

The German’s return to the Bundesliga side in January is not on the cards and will fulfil his loan deal at Tottenham until the end of this season. Leipzig aren’t in favour of his early return as they don’t want to cover his €10m per year salary.

Ange Postecoglou has started Werner only three times in the league this season and he failed to impress when given opportunities. As part of the loan deal, Tottenham have an option to buy him for over €12m next summer.

Bild state it’s extremely unlikely the north London club will buy the attacker as ‘his form is too weak’. Therefore, Leipzig ‘fear’ his return to the club, where the player has a deal until 2026.

The report adds Werner’s valuation was €80m in March 2022 and it’s now at €15m, and it ‘continues to fall’ due to his ongoing struggles.

Sergio Reguilón’s immediate future could be away from Tottenham Hotspur, according to multiple claims from Spain.

Ange Postecoglou hasn’t included the left-back in his core plans this season and limited him to two appearances so far. The second one was against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday as Destiny Udogie suffered an injury.

Reguilón has six months left on his contract and the winter market opens the door for him to leave Tottenham.

That’s according to Cadena Ser, who state the 28-year-old has to look for a new team that can help get his career back on track. Due to his contract situation, the report says Spurs will make his exit ‘as easy as possible’, to avoid losing him for free next summer.

Over at Sport, they state the former Real Madrid man is going through a ‘real nightmare’ at the north London club. The fullback wants this to end and is aiming to leave Tottenham in the upcoming window.

They insist he has experienced ‘hell’ since leaving Real Madrid for Tottenham in 2020. The Spaniard struggled at the Premier League side, and it continued during his loan spells at Atlético Madrid, Manchester United and Brentford.

Reguilón has an opportunity to end his ‘nightmare’ at Spurs by leaving them in January and the English club are also willing to sell him. He’s looking for a new destination and the report claims Real Valladolid could be an option for the left-back.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a multitude of players ahead of the winter market as the club look to improve their season.

Spurs are currently 12th in the Premier League and Ange Postecoglou has already said people behind the scenes are working hard to try and find some solutions during the January window.

That has of course encouraged links, and will have heavily encouraged agents to try and push players towards the London club.

One of those to have been linked in recent weeks is Andrei Ratiu.

The 26-year-old currently plays for Rayo Vallecano, where he has a contract lasting until June 2028. He’s a right-back and has made 16 La Liga appearances so far this season.

Previous reports have covered interest from Barcelona, saying the Catalan club would have an advantage over Tottenham due to having good links with the player’s agent.

Sunday’s edition of Mundo Deportivo names Tottenham and Barcelona as clubs in the mix to sign him, adding Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma.

According to Mundo Deportivo’s own information, a transfer is ‘very likely to happen this January’, although there’s no clear indication on which club is the favourite right now.

Andre Ratiu’s release clause at Rayo Vallecano is €25m.

On Christmas Eve, we covered claims from Spain that Tottenham Hotspur scouted Real Betis’ Vitor Roque against Rayo Vallecano at the weekend.

The La Liga side took the striker on loan from Barcelona in the summer and have a buying option, or can extend his loan deal [with an option to buy] until 2026.

Estadio Deportivo state Tottenham want to sign the 19-year-old in January, but it won’t be easy for them.

Barca have an urgent need to raise funds in order to carry out signings and to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor for the second half of the season. Therefore, they are ‘pressing to sell’ the Brazil international in the winter market.

This has seen Palmeiras table a €20m bid, while Tottenham’s ‘pounds are putting pressure on all parties’ to sign Roque. The report then says ‘tempting salaries’, indicating the north London club would also improve his wages.

Estadio found out from the South American’s camp that they appreciate interest shown by Tottenham and others, but he isn’t thinking about leaving Real Betis at least until the end of this season. This makes it complicated for Spurs to sign Roque in the next window.

“Vitor Roque stays at Betis,” a source close to the player told the newspaper.

Barcelona, for their part, want to get rid of the player permanently at the latest by next summer.

Roque has managed six goals and two assists from 23 games for Real Betis this season.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of five clubs keen on signing Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso.

That’s according to Diario de Sevilla, who state Tottenham are ‘really interested’ in the midfielder.

He overcame issues at the start of the season and has regained his best level at the La Liga side. This hasn’t gone unnoticed as several clubs are showing interest in the 23-year-old.

The newspaper makes it clear that this is their own information, and they have found out that Tottenham, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are among the clubs looking at the American. The detail of the fifth club hasn’t been mentioned.ut they are from Spain.

It’s claimed all these clubs are ‘really interested’, with the Serie A side following Cardoso for a long time.

Last summer, Tottenham sold Giovani Lo Celso to Manuel Pellegrini’s side and as part of the deal, they secured an option – valid in June – to buy Cardoso for €30m. If a club were to offer more money during that period, Spurs have to match it to sign him.

The newspaper highlights this and then adds that the five ‘most interested’ clubs haven’t made any offers so far. They add the player has a ‘real option’ of joining the north London club, likely next summer.

Cardoso’s entourage insists he’s happy at Real Betis and wants to continue there, but his club have other plans.

Pellegrini’s side have to raise at least €20m to balance their books before June 30th and the American is the best chance they have to raise funds.

On Tuesday, we covered a claim from Spain which stated Tottenham Hotspur had sent an official to Real Betis to closely monitor Vitor Roque. It was also said the north London club have asked for information about the striker.

This claim is relayed by Estadio Deportivo, who then provide the Andalusian club’s stance on Tottenham’s interest in Roque.

The Brazil international has scored six goals and registered two assists from 23 games this season.

Despite Tottenham scouting the 19-year-old and showing interest, they have been warned by the Spanish club.

It’s claimed Manuel Pellegrini’s side ‘can quickly stop’ Spurs’ desire to acquire the player’s services, likely in January.

Real Betis took the 19-year-old from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal with an option for another year. They have an option to make his stay permanent next summer and also in 2026 for €25m and €27.5m respectively.

Taking this into account, Estadio claim Ange Postecoglou’s side have ‘no say’ in Roque’s future. In other words, Real Betis will have the ‘last word’ on the South American, and he is currently focused on the Andalusian club.