Daily Mail

Roma are the latest Serie A club to show interest in Radu Dragusin and the fit-again Romania centre-half is planning talks with Tottenham to clarify his future.

The 23-year-old made his Spurs return as a late substitute at Crystal Palace on Sunday, after building up fitness with the Under-21s before his return from 11 months out with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

In his absence, Dragusin has slipped behind Kevin Danso as well as first-choice central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in Thomas Frank’s plans.

Croatian teenager Luka Vuskovic, meanwhile, continues to impress on loan at Hamburg in the German Bundesliga.

Dragusin is concerned that if he stays on the sidelines for the rest of the season, he will start next season in competition with these four players, having played very little football in 20 months.

He wants to play regularly but his agent Florin Manea has told Romanian media outlets Spurs have made it clear they do not want him to go out on loan but that there will be a conversation about the best way forward.

Dragusin joined Spurs for £27million from Genoa in January 2024 and is still very highly rated in Italy.

Marco Ottolini, the Genoa sporting director who signed Dragusin from Juventus for £7m and sold him to Spurs for a £20m profit, is now moving to the same role at Juventus.

Inter Milan, managed by Romanian Cristian Chivu, have been linked and reports in Italy claim Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini is considering Dragusin and Axel Disasi of Chelsea among the options for defensive reinforcements.

Spurs might not be keen to loan him out but could be tempted by a permanent deal as they look to reshape and rebalance the squad.

Meanwhile, Spurs have accepted an offer of £35million with Palace for winger Brennan Johnson if he agrees to a move.

They accept they must be better at selling those who might not be part of their plans at a time when their value is strong, and Frank said: 'I think that’s key. It’s not only doing one thing right, playing a specific way or getting the culture right or whatever, there’s a lot of elements that we need to do well to be able to compete at the highest level.

'Part of it is being able to sell. You see the other top clubs, they are quite good at selling. That’s something we need to be improving. That’s something I know the guys above me are working very hard on. Everything’s linked.'

Tottenham will recall Jamie Donley and Damola Ajayi from their respective loan spells at Stoke and Doncaster in search of more game time.

Donley, 20, has not started a Championship game for Stoke all season and not appeared since October.

The Northern Ireland international enjoyed a successful spell at Leyton Orient last season, impressing against Manchester City in the FA Cup when his brilliant long-range effort bounced into the net via the bar and City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to give the League One side the lead.

He looked ready to make the step up in class but has failed to make an impact for Mark Robins at Stoke and the Spurs development team are keen to bring him back and look for another move.

His availability will alert other Championship clubs and those at the top of League One and create room for Stoke to replace him.

Winger Ajayi, 20, has made 19 appearances for Doncaster including one against Spurs in the Carabao Cup but has only started once in League One.

With his team is an alarming decline since losing that cup tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Rovers boss Grant McCann is seeking to make changes in January.

Spurs will look for another move for Ajayi.

Brennan Johnson's place in Tottenham folklore is secure. It will always be his goal, untidy though it may have been, scrambled inside the near post with a scrape of his studs, that won the Europa League in Bilbao.

He will always be 'Johnson again, ole, ole' to the Spurs fans on account of that strike in the San Mames, his 18th in a prolific season and one to silence some of the sniggering at the back of the room.

It was Johnson who brought the 17-year major trophy drought to a close in N17 by toppling Manchester United in May in the Spanish Basque region and end a long wait of four decades without European success.

Who would have thought then that before the year was out, the Spurs board would have agreed a fee for him to join Crystal Palace.

The deal is not completed. The window is not formally open until New Year's Day and Thomas Frank says he trained fully on Tuesday and is available if selected against Brentford on Thursday.

But Spurs, having won 1-0 at Palace on Sunday, have accepted an offer and the next move is down to Johnson.

Other clubs are interested, including Bournemouth and maybe this is designed to flush out others, such as Aston Villa and Everton, but the fact is Johnson can go for £10m less than they paid Nottingham Forest two-and-a-half years ago.

And while it is a bold decision to cast another reliable goal source aside so soon after Son Heung-min's exit to LAFC in the summer and with Spurs short of goals from open play there is logic to it.

Firstly, Johnson cannot get in Frank's team. Mohamed Kudus is a fixture on the right wing, freshly signed for £55m from West Ham.

Johnson is not going to displace him despite scoring four to Kudus's three goals in all competitions.

Playing on the left, Johnson simply does not carry the same threat so as Frank settles upon a preferred line up he is on the bench. He has appeared in all but two of the 18 Premier League games this season but started only six. And when injured players including Dejan Kulusevski return he will be further from starting.

Kudus, Kulusevski and Johnson all want to play on the right, and nobody has made the left wing their own since Son.

At 24, Johnson probably wants to play more regularly, and Frank must sell to create not only funds to reinvest but space within the squad if he is to strengthen it.

Spurs have sold badly in recent years. From Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso to Ryan Sessesgnon there are many examples of players signed for huge fees who have left for very little.

If Johnson leaves for £35m he will be the club's third biggest sale in 10 years, behind Harry Kane and Kyle Walker.

'That's key,' said Frank, on the matter of selling. 'It's not only doing one thing right, playing a specific way or getting the culture right or whatever, there's a lot of elements we need to do well to be able to compete at the highest level.

'Part of it is being able to sell. You see the other top clubs, they are quite good at selling. That's something we need to be improving. That's something I know the guys above me are working very hard on. Everything's linked.'

Johnson might not be the last. There is interest from Juventus and other Italian clubs in Radu Dragusin, who returned after 11 months out with a serious knee injury in the win at Palace on Sunday. Spurs would like to sell Yves Bissouma if they can find a buyer.

Frank hopes it will help him revive and rebalance his squad as he prepares to go into the market in January, when the main priority will be a wide attacker who can play on the left.

Spurs ended a unique year with a unique goalscorer as Archie Gray grabbed his first senior goal to earn a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.

In the Premier League it's been a year to forget - to say the least - but 2025 also ended with a trophy (at last), a new manager (another one) and a new hierarchy (for the first time since 2001) as the Daniel Levy Era came to a close.

But for all the struggles at home, Spurs are just four points off a potential Champions League return next season, have made a decent showing in that competition so far this campaign and have their best creative force, Dejan Kulusevski, on the way back.

And with January in sight and a new team at the top to possibly release the shackles of recent years, this could be the month Spurs resolve their problems of 2025. Here, our expert in N17 MATT BARLOW reveals everything you need to know.

The priority is a left-sided attacker. Neither Wilson Odobert nor Mathys Tel have made this position their own in five months since Son Heung-min's exit, while neither Richarlison nor Randal Kolo Muani are natural wide men, and Brennan Johnson does not produce from the left as he does from the right.

Hence their part in the scramble for Antoine Semenyo but if Spurs engage with their Big Six rivals in the transfer market they are unlikely to win - the Bournemouth winger is most likely off to Manchester City, and failing that Liverpool.

Others pay more and others win more. Nevertheless, a forward who can contribute goals from the left is the best short-term fix available.

Beyond that, there is scope to upgrade at centre forward, depending on how they see the fitness of Dominic Solanke, in central midfield and in goal. Another left back wouldn’t go amiss and they are on the search for an elite goalkeeper but much of this will be best tackled in the summer.

Yes, there is money and FFP headroom and the Lewis family insist they are ambitious to build success on the pitch and not looking to simply plump the club and sell it.

There are some with doubts about this. But we are about to find out. It is the first window post Daniel Levy so there will be clues to ambition - let's see if they can compete seriously for the in-demand movers, but the January market can be difficult.

CEO Vinai Venkatesham will drive the strategy with co-sporting director Johan Lange and head coach Thomas Frank, and Spurs are not helped by uncertainty swirling around Fabio Paratici, the other co sporting director who appears set to thank Spurs for their loyalty during his global ban from football by swanning off to Fiorentina.

Paratici is valued for his network of contacts at the big European clubs and his deal-making skills so to lose him at the start of the transfer window would not bode well. And probably means some energy would be devoted to finding a heavyweight recruitment expert. He’s still in position for the time being and was in the stands at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Semenyo looks set for elsewhere, be it Manchester City or Liverpool. It is a reality check for those who think Spurs can just go out and sign whoever they want.

RB Leipzig’s teenage winger Yan Diomande, currently at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Ivory Coast, is another exciting talent they have interest in. Diomande is in his first year in Germany and is both expensive and unlikely to move mid-season, but has the profile of age and experience all the Premier League heavyweights are prepared to spend big on. He will be on the list of all those disappointed by Semenyo.

As will Turkish 20-year-old Kenan Yildiz of Juventus, another highly rated wide forward who is attracting attention with agent Jorge Mendes busily creating a market.

If City land a winger in January, it could revive Tottenham’s interest in Savinho, who has signed a new contract but remains on the fringes of Pep Guardiola’s team with only four Premier League starts this season.

There is still interest in versatile attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche of Monaco. Akliouche was on the Spurs list of options in the summer and excelled against them in the Champions League.

Mohamed Kudus has flickered. Bursts of quality and six assists without launching the team to a higher level, and only three goals in 23 games.

It is goals Spurs need since losing James Maddison, Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski to injuries, Johnson displaced by Kudus and Son sold.

Joao Palhinha, on loan from Bayern, has been effective especially in games against strong opponents requiring extra midfield muscle and ball winning craft. In those games when Spurs dominate possession, Palhinha has been less vital, and Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray have become Frank’s preferred pair in central midfield in recent weeks.

Kolo Muani, on loan from PSG, has underwhelmed in a season disrupted initially by lack of sharpness and then niggling injuries. Xavi Simons has taken time to adjust and produced a couple of promising displays in the No 10 role before collecting a three-match ban for a red card against Liverpool so is yet to make a significant impact.

Spurs accept they must be better at selling. Step one appears close, with Crystal Palace closing in on a £35m move for Europa League final hero Brennan Johnson, whose direct style and pace would suit the way the Eagles play.

Yves Bissouma is available just as he was last summer when there were no takers. Interest from Turkey failed to develop and there was a suggestion from the player’s camp that he was settled in London and wanted to stay in the Premier League. His disciplinary lapses and injuries mean he is unlikely to generate much interest.

Bissouma, now at AFCON with Mali, is out of contract at the end of the season but Spurs hold an option to extend for one more year which they plan to trigger if they do not sell in January, in order to preserve his value and make sure they can demand a fee in the summer.

Depending on fitness there are others who might benefit from a loan move out to get minutes, including Radu Dragusin, the Romania centre half just back from a serious knee injury.

There is a lot of interest from Italy in a loan for Dragusin, including Juventus where Marco Ottolini is the new sporting director. Ottolini joins from Genoa where he turned a £20million profit on Dragusin, signing him from Juventus and selling him to Spurs. But he is the type of defender, strong, mobile and good in the air, who will appeal to Frank and he will want strong cover in central defence.

Kota Takai, the 21-year-old Japan international centre half, who has spent the first half of his first season at Spurs injured is another who could benefit from a loan, if Dragusin stays as cover.

Then there’s the situation with the goalkeeper. Guglielmo Vicario will have takers in Italy if Spurs find a suitable upgrade, but with a few moving parts it might be one for the summer window.

Crystal Palace are pushing to get a deal done early for Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson.

Palace are discussing an offer of around £35million for the Wales international who is understood to be frustrated at his lack of starting opportunities under Thomas Frank this season but is in no particular rush to leave.

Frank declared last week that Johnson was still important to his squad and plans going forward but Tottenham are looking for other attacking options and may consider substantial offers to offset their spending elsewhere.

Bournemouth have also shown tentative interest in Johnson but have also discussed Leicester City's Abdul Fatawu as they seek replacements for Antoine Semenyo.

The 24-year-old is also admired by the likes of Everton and Aston Villa but those clubs may not be ready to move until the summer.

Palace are looking to strengthen Oliver Glasner's hand as the coach looks to kick on after a disappointing dip in results, but the Austrian is increasingly unlikely to commit to extending his time at Selhurst Park come the end of the season.

They are also willing to rival West Ham for Jorgen Strand Larsen at Wolves and have posted interest in Manchester City's Oscar Bobb who also has Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham and Fulham among his admirers.

Palace also like Auxerre midfielder Kevin Danois who has been watched by Newcastle United.

Defender Marc Guehi is expected to see out the season with Liverpool still favourites to secure his signature in the summer.

Right guys, it's time for me dash.

Both Crystal Palace and Tottenham came into this afternoon desperate for a win, and well, the visitors came and ripped it away from the Eagles.

They found the net three times on the night, but only Archie Gray's header from three yards out would count. That's all they needed, though, as a pitiful Palace never really looked like hitting back.

That's now the end of the festive feast, and we now turn our attention to the New Year's madness coming our way.

Thank you for joining this evening. I will see you all very soon.

Who'd have thought it, eh?

I didn't think Tottenham were going to win today, but even if I had predicted it, there is no way I would have thought Archie Gray would score the winner.

But here we are, after the match, and Gray did just that... score the winner.

Gray, who is 19 years of age, is the youngest Englishman to score for Tottenham in the Premier League since Dele Alli in January 2016 (19y 287d - also v Crystal Palace).

A huge moment for the lad.

Crystal Palace has sincerely lost their momentum.

This is the worst we have seen them play, both performance and results-wise, since Oliver Glasner took charge.

In fact, they have lost three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since October 2024.

It's also the first time they’ve lost three successive league matches at Selhurst Park since December 2023 (a run of four, which began with defeat to Spurs).

Not a good end to the year...

Boy, oh boy, did Tottenham need that.

It has been a hanging few weeks for Spurs, winning just one league game of their last eight.

It was imperative they came here and got three points, and well, that is what they have done.

It wasn't pretty, but it didn't need to be.

It's a win that will take the pressure off of Thomas Frank, and he will be hoping they can build on it.

Selhurst Park is not an easy place to come, so kudos to them.

Archie Gray scored the goal to lift Tottenham spirits as they ended a year of conflicting emotions with the sort of performance to sum up their identity crisis.

There was little of the creative flair Spurs are expected deliver, and they had to dig in and resist pressure as Crystal Palace dominated for long spells.

They rode their luck but showed guts and determination to fight, and they carried their usual threat from set pieces, and were dangerous on the break.

Most of all, boss Thomas Frank liked the 'desire' and 'discipline' of his team and what he called the 'details mentality' and satisfied to see them edge a tight contest.

'It's so important to have that in the team in the long Premier League season,' said the Spurs boss. 'You need to go to a difficult away ground like this and fight and get a clean sheet. To win 1-0, massive win in many ways.'

Frank beat Palace at their own game, and while Oliver Glasner bemoaned the now familiar problems of chances missed and the vulnerabilities of his team when defending set pieces, the margin for victory for Spurs could, on the other hand, have been greater.

Richarlison had two goals ruled out for fractional offside offences and Wilson Odobert thumped a low shot against post in the closing stages when the game was stretched.

It might not sit comfortably with the purists who expect Spurs to dominate possession, but they might have to put up with it for some time longer as Frank tries to lay foundations for the future.

And it might be easier to win in this fashion away from home, in front of the hardcore than at home in front of more than 60,000 who have paid top dollar and demand to be entertained accordingly.

All of which leaves Frank in an awkward place. As the teams lined up at Selhurst Park there was an argument to say the best goalkeeper, the best centre half, the best central midfielder and the best centre forward were all in the blue-and-red of Palace.

Certainly, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta are all attracting interest from clubs in the traditional Big Six.

Yet it is Spurs who carry the expectation to thrill their audience. Frank needs time and to get time he needs results. Hence the tangible relief to get one in the bag ahead of his first return to Brentford on New Year's Day.

There are signs going into 2026 that the Dane is settling on what he considers is his best team. The only changes from the previous line up were those called upon to replace Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero, who were suspended after red cards against Liverpool.

Kevin Danso came in at the back and was solid, despite an early scare in the fifth minute when he tripped Justin Devenny and the home crowd wanted him sent off.

There was enough cover around to support the call by referee Jarred Gillett that it was not an obvious goal scoring opportunity.

Richarlison, recalled up front, was premature with his pigeon celebration in the 17th minute having finished a splendid cross by Pedro Porro, only to find Bergvall offside earlier in the move.

The VAR reprieve lifted Palace. A trip to Selhurst Park is always fraught with peril, even though Glasner's team are better away from home of late and stumbled through four games in 10 days without a win before Christmas.

They are learning to cope with the impact of success on the fixture schedule and toil that takes on a slender squad, but they have talent and are so well organised and they dominated for 20 minutes as Spurs lost control in midfield.

Jean-Philippe Mateta flashed one chance wide and climbed above Danso but could not keep his header down after Maxence Lacroix had headed a cross by Adam Wharton back across goal.

Guglielmo Vicario in the Spurs goal, took few risks with the ball at his feet and made routine saves when required to foil Devenny and Wharton during this spell of pressure. Will Hughes also went close before Frank's team found a response, taking the lead from a corner won on the counterattack.

The set piece came with immaculate delivery by Porro and three headers won in the six-yard boss. If it made set-piece fan Frank purr it made Glasner lament injuries to defenders Chris Richards and Daniel Munoz, and the absence of Ismaila Sarr, who is on international duty.

'We knew had a mismatch as they say in basketball,' said the Palace boss. 'We lost three headers in a row.'

Randal Kolo Muani to Richarlison to Gray alive to apply the final touch. Not only was it his first goal for Spurs but his first in 112 games in senior football for the 19-year-old, signed from Leeds in the summer of 2024.

Palace ended up with 15 efforts by the end of the game and only two of them on target.

Nathaniel Clyne and Devenny contrived to squander perhaps the best chance at the back post in the second half. Lacroix headed another wide when he should have scored. Marc Guehi headed over from a corner.

Frank's substitutions worked for him. Joao Palhinha came on when Bergvall was injured and restored the balance midfield, helping Spurs win back the ball and, as Palace threw players forward in search for an equaliser, there were openings to exploit at the back.

Richarlison had a second goal ruled out for offside, a fraction off before converting a cross by Kudus, after a fine pass by Gray.

Odobert hit post from 20 yards and Dean Henderson save denied Rodrigo Bentancur in stoppage time.

Thomas Frank has promised his Tottenham side will kick the losing habit ‘sooner rather than later’.

Form has crashed for Spurs since a promising start under the new boss and he enters a critical period of fixtures with a trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

'There are habits that can go both ways,' said Frank. 'There are good habits and bad habits. And, of course, winning is a good habit and losing is a bad habit.

'But underneath that is the habit of every staff member, every player. How do you react when there are setbacks in games and that is something we are really working very, very hard on. Something we have dealt OK with.'

Frank pointed to Brighton and Bodo/Glimt, two games in September when Spurs fought back from 2-0 down to draw.

The overall pattern was similar last season under Ange Postecoglou. A strong start but once the European campaign began, the players were not robust enough to cope with the extra physical and mental demands and the squad was strong or deep enough to cope with selection rotations designed to help.

The quality has dropped and momentum faded. This with a gentle Champions League draw. Those fixtures could have been so much more demanding.

Spurs have won only three and lost seven of their last 12 games. The wins at home against Copenhagen, Slavia Prague and Brentford.

European results are boosting the overall outlook. Spurs taken only five points from the last eight Premier League games but Palace is the first of six winnable league games which could change the pattern. Brentford, Sunderland, Bournemouth, West Ham and Burnley come next.

'There are bits going the right way, but we are not consistent enough to do that every third or fourth day,' said Frank. 'No matter how much I hate saying it, that’s an ongoing thing we need to work on. Small bits and good habits for a player. You want a player to do recovery runs 10/10 times and he does it 5/10 times.'

The Spurs boss snapped his fingers and added: 'He won’t do it like this 10/10 times. It maybe five-and-a-half, six, six-and-a-half, seven. That’s how it works.'

Frank remains confident he will solve the puzzle based on similar experiences working at Brondby and Brentford, where over time he improved both teams.

'I am convinced we will see a similar pattern here,' he said. 'I’m not in doubt of that because I know how to make a competitive team. We will make a very competitive team here as well.

'It’s normal. It’s not the first time in my career I haven’t found the team instantly but it’s coming over time. I know it will come. Probably sooner rather than later.'

Pace is one thing many of the Premier League's greatest ever attackers have in common.

Picture a curly-haired, hairy-chested Ryan Giggs marauding down the wing at Old Trafford in the 1990s, or a teenaged Michael Owen blitzing in behind at Anfield that same decade.

Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo were two of the quickest, and best, of the Noughties while the 2010s played host to the likes of Kyle Walker and Gareth Bale.

Former Real Madrid team-mates Ronaldo and Bale were, in fact, so fast that former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers once claimed they could run in the Olympics. OK, maybe Rodgers went a step too far, but you get the jist.

So, as we head towards 2026, who are the current Premier League speedsters who could give Olympic sprinters a run for their money?

Erling Haaland and Adama Traore spring to mind, and so too does Spurs centre-half Micky Van de Ven after his burst through Copenhagen's defence in the Champions League last month.

Yet none of the above top or even warrant a top-five spot in a new list of the league's quickest players shared with Daily Mail Sport this week.

No, that title goes to Wolves full-back Jackson Tchatchoua.

Signed in the summer from Hellas Verona after being named Serie A's fastest player last season with a top speed of 22.4mph, the 24-year-old has incredibly eclipsed that number since arriving in the Black Country.

He's been clocked at 23.2mph, according to Opta. For reference, the fastest ever speed recorded by a human was when Usain Bolt reached 27.8mph during a 100m race at the 2009 World Championships.

The Belgian clocked in some 0.6mph faster that his closest competitor, Tottenham's Destiny Udogie (22.6mph), while new Manchester United recruit Bryan Mbeumo (22.58mph) has to settle for bronze.

Occupying the fourth and fifth spots are Chelsea's Pedro Neto (22.57mph) and Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon (22.53mph), with the rest of the top 10 consisting of Daniel James (22.45mph), Yankuba Minteh (22.44mph), Anthony Elanga (22.36mph), Nico O'Reilly (22.36mph), Kevin (22.34mph) and William Osula (22.34mph).

Remarkably, there's no place for Haaland or Van de Ven despite both being named as two of the league's quickest in years gone-by.

But how about the league's slowest? A title no one wants to scoop.

If we were to include shot-stoppers then Nottingham Forest's John Victor would be the unlucky man named the top flight's very own tortoise. However I'm not sure that's fair. After all, who cares about a goalkeeper's pace?

In terms of outfield players, Brighton's Joe Knight's top speed of 12.47mph is the slowest recorded by any Premier League player so far this season, though that's a little misleading. The 20-year-old has played just a solitary minute of league football for the Seagulls, so likely didn't break into a sprint.

In fact, none of the four slowest have played more than two minutes all season. Nehemiah Oriola (12.69mph) has played just one minute for Brighton, Odsonne Edouard (13.71mph) just a couple for Crystal Palace and Everton's Harrison Armstrong (14.78mph) was also brought on in the dying embers for his solitary appearance.

It's with Diego Coppola in fifth where we begin to understand who exactly is the league's slowest player. The Italian has reached a top speed of just 14.99mph in the 107 minutes he's featured under Fabian Hurzeler this term.

He beats Sunderland's Dan Neil (15.18mph), Crystal Palace's Borna Sosa (15.4mph) and, to compound his Villa Park misery, Harvey Elliott. The now rarely seen Englishman has clocked in with a top speed of 15.5mph during his four appearances in claret and blue.

Meanwhile occupying the ninth and tenth spots on our slowest players list are Mateo Kovacic (15.6mph) and Mike Tresor (15.7mph).

Tottenham will not let sporting director Fabio Paratici walk out and join Fiorentina without compensation.

Paratici is wanted by the club currently bottom of Serie A despite winning for the first time this season on Sunday, and is keen on the move, according to reports in his native Italy.

He has informed Spurs chief executive Vinai Venkatesham of Fiorentina's interest and told him to expect an approach but at the time of writing there was still no formal contact as required to reach an agreement to break him from the contract signed in October.

Spurs stayed loyal to Paratici when he resigned as their managing director of football in April 2023 after FIFA extended a ban for his role in financial irregularities at former club Juventus to cover the whole of world football.

He remained a visible figure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium working on a consultancy basis after resigning from his official position.

When his ban expired this summer, he was reappointed two months ago as a sporting director, the title also held by Johan Lange. Venkatesham said they would work together to fulfil the ever-expanding requirements of the role.

'Together, Fabio and Johan will lead with purpose,' the Spurs chief executive said upon Paratici's reappointment.

'This is an evolution in how we operate. We're setting the foundations for sustained success.'

If Paratici does depart just two months later, it will not look good for Venkatesham, and it will also be a serious blow to Spurs' transfer plans in the January market if their senior recruitment expert was to leave with the transfer window about to open.

Fiorentina, cut adrift at the bottom of Serie A with only nine points from their first 16 games, picked up a shock 5-1 win at home to Udinese on Sunday, their first league victory of the season.

Their previous sporting director, Daniele Prade, departed the club by mutual consent last month.