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Let's Talk Tottenham on Friday

Let's Talk Tottenham Friday

Davinson-Sanchez


Congratulations to Gareth Southgate and England and let's begin today by reminding people about VAR.

Still plenty don't understand it.

VAR does not make decision except red cards.

It is mismanaged by the Premier League who are far too heavily reliant on it and give the impression that VAR is referring the game, not the actual ref.

The penalty incident.

VAR's job is to see if there is a clear and obvious error.

So, it is not VAR's job to determine whether it was a penalty or not, only if the referee has made a clear and obvious error.

As the penalty was debatable, then clearly, no clear and obvious error has been made, as it's debateable.

Thus VAR has say no clear and obvious error has been made, which means you stay with the referees decision.

Troy Parrott


Troy Parrott is keen to have first team football, as all teenagers are today.

Gone are the days where they have to wait until around 23 before being given games, when abroad players are experienced by that age.

Now you have to play them or lose them and that means using the loan system, if you want to keep a player.

Oliver Skipp has been brilliant at Norwich City on a season long loan and is a player the club wish to develop.

Fabio Paratici knows that, Nuno Espirito Santo knows that. It isn't a case of him assessing the player to see if he wants him, it is a question of the club wanting so you will have to work with him.

That won't be a problem as Nuno likes the player anyway.

Again with Troy Parrott, it is not a case of Nuno sending him out on loan as reported, but the player and club deciding that is his best path, Nuno simply gets informed that is what is happening.

The 19-year-old (20 next February) Dublin born Republic of Ireland international (6 caps, 2 goals, 1 assist) is likely to go out on loan to a Championship side once again.

He had a spells with both Millwall and Ipswich Town last season.

For Millwall he played 11 times, didn't score a goal and had 1 assist.

For Ipswich Town he played 18 games and scored twice.

To compare, he has played 14 games for our Under-23 Development Team, scored 5 goals and had 1 assist.

Men's football is a different world to Under-23 football, you see that each season with the new trophy where they play against the lower league sides and get beaten.

It is all good experience for them though.

Hopefully Parrott will be mentally up for it and start to scoring the goals we know he can for whichever side takes him on loan.

Fabio Paratici


Fabrizio Romano has a Twitch account and on that he talked about the way in which Fabio Paratici works, which seems to surprise a few people but is pretty standard practice.

Just as journalists incorrectly think you work through one potential manager option before moving on to the next one, so fans seem to think the same too.

However, in real life that generally isn't how things happen.

A Director of Football will speak to several potential candidates for a position and the one where everything coincides is the one purchased.

The financials have got to be right for the buying and selling clubs, the contract has got to be right for the club and player, image rights, family views, there are a multitude of factors that parties have to agree on before a deal can be made.

We are linked with a host of centre-backs, we aren't buying them all, we are just sounding them and their clubs out to see what deal works best for us and whether that fits in with the selling clubs requirements, the players requirements and the agents requirements.

It is not a case of being first choice, second choice etc., that only happens after the sounding out process.

Yes there will be an idea playing wise, but that is reassessed once initial informal discussions have taken place with all parties.

Then, some players will be rejected, cost too much, want too high a salary, don't want to join the club etc., while others will come higher in the reckoning.

All factors come into play, not just what happens on the pitch, whether fans like it or not. It happens at all clubs, even the biggest.

When Juventus were looking for a striker, Paratici was discussing deals with Álvaro Morata, Olivier Giroud, Edin Džeko, Luis Suárez and Moise Keane before settling on Morata.

It is all just common sense.

Giovanni Lo Celso


Lionel Messi was full of praise for Giovanni Lo Celso, underrated by many a Spurs fan saying,  "Without Lo Celso, the journey to the final wouldn't have been possible"

Injuries have hindered him at Spurs and we haven't seen the best of him yet, but he has shown himself to be important and those who suggest he has been a disaster clearly have eyesight issues.

He has the right mental attitude and that is essential, let's hope some of it rubs off on Ndombele and he can get goal side of the ball to help the defence.

If Ndombele could follow in Dele's footsteps in improving his mentality then we could have a very good midfield group.

Pre-Season Training


Pre-season training starts with medicals and fitness work.

International players are on holiday or still involved in the Euros or Copa America and are yet to have their break.

Currently in pre-season training are:
Joe Hart
Alfie Whiteman
Matt Doherty
TJ Eyoma
Eric Dier
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Jubril Okedina
Tobi Omole
Sergio Reguilon
Ryan Sessegnon
Harvey White
Harry Winks
Tanguy Ndombele
Nile John
Dele Alli
Jack Clarke
Steven Bergwijn
Lucas Moura
Erik Lamela
Dane Scarlett

Franck Kessié


Franck Kessié is a player we have been linked with before and is a player Fabio Paratici likes.

Eurosport are re-reporting news the Tottenham interest in genuine and roll out the quote we have seen before:

“Sources say their interest in Kessie is very strong and that an offer could be made if they get the impression the player is genuinely open to a new challenge."

The trouble when a player is negotiating a new contract is that their agent will talk to other clubs, not just to put pressure on the parent club, but to see what options their are in the market for their player.

We are an option, it depends whether our project appeals, whether he wants to play in the Premier League, whether he wants UEFA Champions League football.

Currently AC Milan feel his demands are too excessive in the current financial climate, a climate players and agents seem to ignore.

With only a year left on his contract, AC Milan can't command a high fee for him.

Pierluigi Gollini


Tottenham have made an enquiry for Italian international (1 cap) and Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini.

Spurs are not alone though, Everton, Lazio, Inter and AS Roma have also also enquired.

The 26-year-old (27 next March) is under contract until 2023.

He was with the Manchester United Under-18's and after moving back to Italy spend some time with Aston Villa.

Gollini is a player we have had on the radar for a few years now.

He spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport last Friday, when he was directly asked about the interest from both Milan and Tottenham.

"Other than the fact [the market] will be very influenced by the current situation, I have never thought about it, let alone now, it would be a lack of respect to Atalanta and Bergamo. 

"Being appreciated is a pleasure, but it does not trigger certain feelings with me.

"I feel very close to the Atalanta family, and even more to Bergamo right now. I don’t choose between Italy and England: I choose Bergamo. It is the right thing and the one I feel.”

That rather tells us that he has no intention of returning to England unless something happens at Atalanta.

His spell at Aston Villa apparently put him off England so we are up against it if we proceed to turn interest into something more concrete.

Atalanta have signed 27-year-old (28 next May) Argentinian international (1 cap) goalkeeper Juan Musso from Udinese for £18m.

Gollini's agent, who Paratici gets on well with, will need to talk to the club and discuss his clients future.

Atalanta had 46 players out on loan last season, the majority aged between 20 and 22.

Clubs use the loan system a lot more in Italy to develop players. It is perhaps something Tottenham need to look at in the future to develop players quicker.

Maxence Lacroix


Another player on the radar of Fabio Paratici is 21-year-old (22 next April) VfL Wolfsburg centre-back Maxence Lacroix.

The French Under-20 (2 caps) international is the Bundesliga sides defensive rock, a beast of a defender standing 1.9m (6ft 3in) wanted by Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.

He is complemented for being mature, perhaps that is because he left home at 13 to pursue his professional dream.

He was born in the outskirts of Paris, started playing aged 4 and moved 300 miles south west, when 13, to accept a place in the Trellisac Academy (Bordeaux).

Two years later he moved 400 miles east to join the youth set-up at second-tier side Sochaux.

There he signed professional terms aged 17 and made his debut in the Coupe de France aged 18.

After a further 27 appearances, Wolfsburg signed him in the summer transfer window last year.

Lacroix has the physique to handle the Premier League, right-footed, he clocked the 4th-fastest speed of any player in Germany in 2020/21 at 22.2 mph (35.75 km/h).

Wolfsburg had the second-stingiest defence in the Bundesliga last season, keeping seven consecutive clean sheets between Matchdays 17 and 23.

They conceded only 37 goals, finished 4th and returned to the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2015.

Because Lacroix is tall and lean and because of his grace on the ball, he has been compared with Rio Ferdinand. He is comfortable on the ball, coming out of defence or picking a forward pass.

His Dad was an amateur goalkeeper and that's where Lacroix started before converting to a striker by the time he joined the Bordeaux academy.

The Sochaux Academy moved him to attacking midfield, then defensive midfield, and finally centre-back.

“He greets me every day in German. I’m very satisfied with Maxence’s work.” - Wolfsburg head coach Oliver Glasner

“He arrived here from France and I was amazed at how well he adapted to the level here. He’s a very talented boy.” – Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels

“He’s got everything you need to establish yourself in the Bundesliga.” – Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer

“I'm quite athletic, I'm quick, I'm strong. I'm not bad with the ball at my feet, I'm able to do everything the coach asks of me. That’s the most important thing." – Maxence Lacroix

In June, Wolfsburg rejected a bid from RB Leipzig of around €18m (£15.40m - US$21.23m - AUS$28.44m) suggesting they want €30m+ (£25.67m - US$35.38m - AUS$47.39m) for him.

Lacroix is in no hurry to leave Wolfsburg after only a season so we'll certainly continue to keep a close eye on his progress.

Davinson Sánchez


There have only been a few tentative enquiries about Davinson Sánchez so even if Spurs are willing to listen to offers, none are forthcoming at the moment.

Sánchez has been playing in the Copa America, where his Colombia lost in a semi-final penalty shoot-out to Argentina, who now face Brazil in the final.

The 25-year-old (26 next June) is happy to stay at Spurs and fight for his place under new boss Nuno and is therefore keen to start pre-season and show what he can do.

Instead of have two to three weeks off like the other international players, he has told the club he'll only take a weeks holiday before returning on Monday 19th July.

There seems to be a determination about a few players at Spurs this summer, let's hope that translates into improved performances on the pitch.

Right that is enough for this informative piece, guess I'll have to start another.

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