Fabrizio Romano: Tottenham “very happy” with “top signing”
Tottenham have made an excellent start to life on the pitch this term and one man has impressed club chiefs.
Tottenham Hotspur have made a very impressive start to the campaign and club chiefs are delighted with one player’s performances since moving to north London, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
What’s the latest news involving Tottenham Hotspur?
Spurs could be set for one of their defenders to leave the club in the January transfer window, with Football Insider claiming that Eric Dier is subject of interest from Serie A giants Roma, who are managed by ex-Lilywhites man Jose Mourinho.
The report states that the England international would seriously contemplate a reunion with the Portuguese football icon, given that he has not featured in a single minute of action for Tottenham this campaign and is out of the reckoning under Ange Postecoglou.
Aksam Spor via TEAMtalk indicate that Spurs are keen on bringing in Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson; however, they will face stiff competition from La Liga outfit Sevilla to sign the Denmark international. Nelsson is said to have a release clause of around €25 million inserted into his contract at the Turkish champions, though his current employers are attempting to raise this figure to €30 million, which would equate to roughly £29.95 million.
On the pitch, Spurs are in an excellent run of form and have yet to lose a single Premier League match this campaign, situating them in second place with 17 points from seven matches and one behind league leaders Manchester City.
Cited by The Daily Mail, former Celtic boss Postecoglou has had his say regarding VAR following Luis Diaz being on the end of a contentious decision that saw what looked like a perfectly good goal denied in Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, which would’ve given the visitors the lead in north London.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Postecoglou stated: “I think I’m on record as saying that I’ve never really been a fan of it (VAR) since it came in. Not for any other reason than I think that it complicates areas of the game that I thought were pretty clear in the past, but I can see at the same time why it was inevitable that technology would come in.”
Who has impressed since joining Tottenham Hotspur?
Taking to social media platform X, transfer guru Romano has revealed that Tottenham are delighted with the impact new goalkeeper Gugliemo Vicario has made since arriving at the Lilywhites, as he stated: “Tottenham are very happy with Guglielmo Vicario and his impact with English football. Understand real fee invested by Spurs to sign Vicario from Empoli was €19m. Top signing.”
In his post, Romano also alluded to Vicario’s real transfer fee of €19 million, which was previously claimed to be around €20 million in a report from TNT Sports when the Udine-born star joined Tottenham, showing how it was actually slightly less.
Impressively, Vicario has managed to record a save percentage of 81.8% in the Premier League this term and has made several important saves when called upon between the sticks, as per FBRef. Tottenham finally look to have found a long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris and fans will hope he remains at the club for many years to come, improving along the way.
Tottenham: Levy could make “concrete” Spurs move to sign “game-changer”
The player is a mainstay for his club right now.
Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy by extension could make a “concrete” move to sign one player who’s been called a “game-changer”, according to reports.
Who have Spurs signed 2023?
Boosted by the summer signings of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, assured defender Micky van de Ven, England midfield star James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, exciting striker Alejo Veliz and Wales forward Brennan Johnson, Spurs have started this Premier League campaign in very fine fashion.
Sealing four wins from their first league matches, whilst scoring an impressive 15 goals in the process, new manager Ange Postecoglou’s exciting, attack-minded style is on full display for all to see. Tottenham’s latest battle saw them clinch an entertaining 2-2 draw away at north London rivals and title hopefuls Arsenal.
A brace from captain Son Heung-min helped them fight back from a goal down on two separate occasions, with Postecoglou hailing his young side for their grit and determination.
“They’ve come through that, going toe to toe with a top side,” said Postecoglou. “There’s a real will and desire to become the team we want to be, which includes making sure that you’re disciplined and you’re buying into the team ethos and we had a really young team out there. Vic, that’s his first derby, Destiny, van de Ven, Pape Matar Sarr, Brennan, they’re all in their early twenties, Porro, even Kulusevski is only 23, so it was a young team but just super proud of the experienced players we did have in there.
“Romero was outstanding, Bissouma has been brilliant all year, Maddison, and Sonny was just on a different level, not just his goals, although they were outstanding, but his work rate, his work ethic was incredible.”
Spurs host Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and while Jurgen Klopp’s side are on a similar run of form, again remaining unbeaten, Postecoglou’s side will be in very high spirits.
What’s the latest Spurs transfer news?
Despite Tottenham’s excellent form on the field, there could be concerns surrounding strength in depth if any of their key men – like Maddison for instance – get injured. Stars from last season, like both Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Eric Dier, have been tipped to leave in January after becoming fringe members of Postecoglou’s new-look Spurs side.
As a result, the Lilywhites are said to have their eyes on centre-back signings and midfield men for January, with a report by CaughtOffside sharing an update involving Chelsea star Conor Gallagher. They claim Tottenham and Levy could make a “concrete” move for the Englishman if Hojbjerg ends up leaving the club.
Nothing else is said beyond that, but Gallagher has become a mainstay under Mauricio Pochettino so far this season; starting all six of their league games while also ranking as their second-best performer according to WhoScored.
Former Spurs star, once speaking to Match of the Day (via The Sun), has expressed his admiration for the 23-year-old saying:
“I think he is a game-changer aswell Conor Gallagher. He’s the type of player that you bring on and he has an impact on the game. He presses, gets himself in the box and creates chances.
Spurs: Redknapp signed ‘phenomenal’ star for peanuts, then sold for £53m
The Lilywhites struck gold on Harry Redknapp’s “phenomenal athlete”
Tottenham Hotspur have played host to some immeasurable talent, with the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric having kickstarted their glistening careers in N17.
The former would command a world-record fee upon his exit, whilst the latter would go on to lead his country to a World Cup final, winning it all with Real Madrid and eventually ending Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s monopoly over the Ballon d’Or to claim immortality in 2018.
Their recruitment is clearly impressive, with an academy even able to produce talent to go alongside that duo, as Harry Kane emerged nearly a decade ago and left over the summer for a whopping £100m fee.
However, there is perhaps a more underrated but equally impressive departure they instigated, which was made even more outstanding by the ease with which they had initially snagged Kyle Walker from Sheffield United, for what turned out to be a nominal fee.
Becoming a star in north London, and eventually a Premier League legend with Manchester City, it is fair to say that Harry Redknapp struck gold with his shrewd capture.
When did Spurs sign Kyle Walker?
Having worked his way up through the youth ranks at Bramall Lane, there were murmurs of a young full-back boasting raw blistering speed and a touch of class.
Having made himself the youngest Blades player to ever play at Wembley as they sought 2009 playoff glory, his consistent displays had caught Redknapp’s eye despite their failure to secure promotion.
He would engineer a double swoop, bringing in both Kyle Naughton and Walker for a combined fee of around £10m. Whilst the former would fade into obscurity, instead becoming more of a cult hero with Swansea City, the now 34-year-old would continue his growth, establishing himself as a key asset under Mauricio Pochettino before his eventual sale.
That’s not to suggest that this was an easy integration, with the defender having to bide his time before earning that first-team opportunity. He would return to Sheffield United initially on loan before two temporary spells at QPR and Aston Villa seemingly prepared him for the senior squad.
Ever since earning that opportunity, Walker has never looked back.
How good was Kyle Walker at Spurs?
Amassing an admirable 227 appearances during his time with the Lilywhites, his was a tenure littered with outstanding moments that underpinned his play style. Forever hard-working and physically immense, the ageing ace was also in possession of more than enough quality to shine at the apex of English football, although Spurs were largely far from it.
One such example of that talent came in 2011, as the £175k-per-week star lashed home a thunderous effort to deceive Wojciech Szczesny and win his side the north London derby.
Then, the year following would see him recognised for this ever-growing skillset, as Walker was named the PFA Young Player of the Year award, beating out the likes of Sergio Aguero, Danny Welbeck and teammate Bale.
Of all the excitement that such a stellar start to a career promised, the sole downside was the lack of silverware, as his side never really came close. That could have all changed in 2015 though, as they made their way to the EFL Cup final to face bitter rivals Chelsea. However, the right-back’s return to Wembley unfortunately ended up the same way as his last, falling to defeat.
This would be the closest Walker would come to a trophy throughout his eight years with the Lilywhites, and his exit came in 2017, commanding a mouth-watering £53m fee. After all, the titan had just been named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second time, with good reason.
His 7.10 average rating for the Premier League that term marked an outstanding figure for a full-back who failed to score a single goal. Five assists outlined his creativity alongside 1.2 key passes per game, whilst his athleticism and defensive intelligence allowed him to record 1.2 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 2.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
Pundit Kenny Cunningham would seek to outline the former attribute, branding City’s number two a “phenomenal athlete” just last year.
Whilst many may have rushed to praise such a fine personal year, they likely had little knowledge of just how revolutionary Pep Guardiola would prove to be with the England international.
Why did Manchester City spend £53m on Kyle Walker?
It is a testament to Walker’s ability to adapt to a new philosophy that he has remained such a mainstay under the ever-evolving Spanish tactician, who is forever seeking to find new ways to dominate football.
And, it must be said that, with each passing year the 52-year-old seems to succeed in such a venture. Since that 2017 departure, the 5 foot 10 stalwart has filled en entire trophy cabinet with untold silverware, playing a vital role in five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and one Champions League, the latter of which capped off their unprecedented treble too.
In fact, such has been his longevity and success at the Etihad, his 263 games for the Citizens have actually surpassed the appearances earned with Spurs.
Although it could be debated which his standout year has been, given there have been so many, his current campaign is suggesting it could be the strongest yet despite having turned 33 back in May. After all, no defender in the squad has managed more than his 1.3 key passes a game in the league.
Guardiola even sought to laud his lucrative acquisition, highlighting the 78-cap ace’s importance to their continued success: “The level Kyle has shown with us these four years has been fantastic. He’s another person who has his life calm and in order, he’s such an important player for us
“After 4 years there are moments when you can be down but last game he showed how important he is. He has to handle the best strikers in the world, and he can handle it, he can win the duels.”
Although Walker has gone on to reach impossible heights since leaving north London, few can fault his commitment before departing, and the results earned through earning such a move.
City are one of the greatest club sides ever seen, with Spurs having produced their starting right-back. The hope is that Ange Postecoglou can now forge a similar dynasty, retaining their star players to one day reach such a level.
