Mid-June Transfer Talk

Written by Dustin Gentile

If there is a bonus to a World Cup year, it is the early opening of the summer transfer window for

the Premier League. With “Silly Season” set to begin a few weeks early for English teams, let’s

do a quick look at all the rumors and innuendo involving Tottenham Hotspur.

Mark Your Calendars

Before we dive into all the news and notes, I think it is important to know how the World Cup is

impacting the transfer window for clubs across Europe. As I mentioned earlier, the Premier

League will be opening its transfer window early this summer as things will officially open up on

Monday, June 15. The Premier League will get a two-week head start as Serie A will open its

transfer window on Monday, June 29. France, Germany, and Spain will open their signing

window on the traditional date of Wednesday, July 1.

Not only will the start date vary by country, but there will be some variation in the closing of the

window. Germany and France will conclude all of their business on Monday, July 31, while the

window will slam shut on the traditional date of Tuesday, September 1, in Spain, Italy, and

England.

The other variable to factor in this edition of Silly Season will be the World Cup itself. The Group

Stage will come to a close on Saturday, June 27. I would venture to say that any rumors and

moves for the BIG NAME transfers that are on the unfortunate end of an early exit will not

intensify until after their tournament ends. The Rounds of 32 and 16 will come to a close on

Friday, July 3, and Tuesday, July 7, respectively. This will also be an important date for

transfers, as most players on the move will (most likely) wait until their time in North America

has come to a close.

With all that being said… let’s talk transfers!

What We Already Know

Roberto De Zerbi has already made his initial stamp on the window with a pair of free agent

signings, a new contract for the club’s longest-tenured player, and a slew of departures,

including one from the first team.

While Spurs were in the race to hold off relegation, reports swelled that two names were looking

to head to N17 should the club remain in the Premier League for the 2026/27 season. Now that

we know that this story had a happy ending, those rumors were confirmed as the club has

already announced the signing of two free agents with Premier League experience: Andy

Robertson of Liverpool and Marcos Senesi of AFC Bournemouth.

Andy Robertson provides the first team with depth at the fullback position as well as a

championship mentality, having won multiple trophies during his time on Merseyside. While I

(and many supporters) see him as a strong number-two option at leftback behind Destiny

Udogie. The Scottish captain will be able to provide the room with a lot of needed experience as

the club will look to avoid a third straight season in the bottom fifth of the Premier League table.

This type of move reminds me of what the club tried to accomplish in the summer of 2022, when

they signed wingback Ivan Perisic. Hopefully, Robertson’s tenure will not end in an ACL injury

as Perisic’s did.

The move for Marcos Senesi is one that I find to be very intriguing, as the player has left a

Bournemouth side that qualified for Europe for the first time in their club history for a Tottenham

side that will miss out on Europe for the second time in four years. Senesi profiles as a

front-footed defender who ranks highly in progressive passing, tackles, blocks, and clearances.

His progressive passing would be a huge asset to a Spurs side that, simply put, did not create

enough chances in the Premier League over the course of the last two seasons.

In addition to their two free agent signings, Spurs also made a surprise move by re-signing

long-time Tottenham defender Ben Davies to a one-year deal. The Welsh leftback, who is

recovering from a long-term injury suffered earlier this calendar year, was expected to leave the

club at the end of his contract, but the club had other ideas. 2026-27 appears like it could be the

finale for the player in North London, but he will also provide a lot of valuable leadership to the

club.

Speaking of expiring first contracts, the club’s first confirmed departure came in the form of Yves

Bissouma, as the team announced it would not be picking up the option on his 2026-27

contract. The coveted midfielder endured an inconsistent spell at N17, as personal decisions

and injuries seemed to offset periods of strong play. Bissouma looked to hit his stride in the

2024-25 season under Ange Postecoglou, but his 2025-26 season seemingly flew off the rails

before it could get started as new manager Thomas Frank left him out of the squad for the 2025

UEFA Super Cup after the player showed up late to multiple team practices in the lead-up to the

game.

Bissouma is not the only confirmed player to be leaving the club, as a slew of the club’s U18

and U21 players were confirmed to be released after their contracts expire at the end of June.

Some of the bigger names from that set of releases include: Pele Arganese-McDermott, Tyrell

Ashcroft, and Matthew Craig.

What Comes Next?

So the real question on everyone’s mind is “who will Spurs sign?” By my count, I have tracked

FORTY-TWO players that the club has shown some sort of interest in signing. Most of those

names are preliminary interests of the club, but there are a few names that seem to carry more

weight to their rumors.

The most obvious name of interest among supporters of Spurs has to be Brazilian winger,

Savinho. The Manchester City player seemed to be headed to North London last summer

before the Citizens slammed the door on any movement late in the window. Things have

obviously changed as the January arrival of Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has seen the

winger move down the pecking order in Manchester and on the outside looking in of the World

Cup squad for Brazil. Savinho's ability would give Spurs an element they lacked this past

season after club captain Son Heung-min departed for the MLS in the 2025 summer transfer

window, as well as allow Roberto de Zerbi to play Xavi Simons in his more natural position in

the #10 role. While different insiders will say the move is in slightly different phases of

completion, what we do know is that personal terms with the player should not be an issue as

Paul O’Keefe reported on June 3 that Savinho’s weekly wages would fall in the range of £120K

to £140K with Simon Jones reporting on June 8 that the transfer fee for the player appears to be

in the neighborhood of £60M. This could be a deal I could see happening sooner rather than

later, as Savinho will not be tied up with the World Cup when the transfer window opens on June

15.

Another name that seems to be gaining traction is that of Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

The Brighton centerback has been linked with a move to Tottenham since De Zerbi’s arrival at

N17 due to the previous history as part of De Zerbi’s strong run with the Seagulls. This would be

another stellar move to shore up Spurs’ backline, as van Hecke is a name that many Premier

League teams have shown interest in this summer. On June 5, it was reported (and later

confirmed by multiple sources) that Spurs have agreed to personal terms with the player as the

clubs work to agree on a transfer fee. It has been reported that the first two offers from Spurs

have been rejected by Brighton, with the Seagulls looking for a transfer fee around £80M. A fee

of that nature would break the Tottenham transfer record set by the club when they signed Dom

Solanke from Bournemouth. Should the deal get over the line, van Hecke is reported to be

under contract with Spurs until 2031. It was reported by Jay Harris of The Athletic on June 11

that Spurs would like to complete the deal BEFORE van Hecke and the Netherlands’ first game

at the World Cup on Sunday, June 14. When looking at the player, van Hecke seems to fit a

similar profile to Marcos Senesi. He is known for his progressive play as well as his front-foot

style. This would mesh well with Senesi and Micky van de Ven. The difference between van

Hecke and Senesi is that van Hecke's progression comes from his ability to dribble and

maneuver on the field. He is also known for his calm demeanor and aerial ability, which would

be perfect for Spurs when we look at who could be leaving this transfer window. More on that to

come…

One final incoming deal that seems to be gaining momentum is the permanent signing of Joao

Palhinha. While it was unclear if the club would make Palhinha's loan permanent from Bayern

Munich, it became abundantly clear that the Portuguese midfielder is very much a part of

Roberto De Zerbi’s plans in North London. As part of the loan move, Spurs held a £26M buy

option for Palhinha, but it appears that the club will hope to renegotiate with the German

champions for a lower fee. In the meantime, another club has agreed to a fee with Bayern

Munich in a move that would see him return to his home country. Sporting agreed to terms with

Bayern Munich for the permanent transfer of the player while hoping to reduce his weekly

wages to make the deal official. While it was originally reported that Tottenham had pulled out of

the deal, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported on June 1 that the North London side is the

preferred destination of the midfielder, even with his buy option expiring on the day. In an update

from Team Talk on June 11, Spurs are currently in discussions with Bayern Munich to reduce the

previous transfer fee. For what it is worth, capology.com reports that Palhinha’s weekly wages

were £135K last season, which were covered in full by Spurs as a part of their loan agreement. I

personally think that Spurs need a player like Palhinha in the squad with the confirmed

departure of Yves Bissouma. Palhinha would also be a great player in the squad for the

development of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, who we all hope are set for long careers in

North London.

Exit Stage Left

While there seems to be a consensus that Spurs are looking to finalize some incoming deals as

the World Cup begins this month, we also need to look at some exits that seem to be imminent

during this window.

The first exit that seems to be a foregone conclusion is club captain Cristian Romero. It seems

as if the defender’s time in North London has come to an end with an injury, as it was reported

on June 11 that Romero’s agent is hard at work to find the Argentine a new club for the

upcoming campaign. There is nothing concrete in terms of negotiations as Romero is currently

focused on defending Argentina’s World Cup title. While Romero is drawing a lot of interest from

Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, recent reports have linked Liverpool and Bayern Munich with

the defender. There have also been conflicting reports surrounding Manchester United's interest

in Romero, with some rumors claiming that Romero is among the club’s top targets, while others

claim that the English giants are not actively pursuing the player. I would put a pin in a move for

Romero for now. With Argentina among the favorites in this year’s World Cup, I expect a move

for Romero to occur closer to the start of Spurs’ preseason tour of Oceania. Spurs have already

done some tidy business among their backline, and I think Jan Paul van Hecke would be a

perfect replacement for their club captain. I think his style would be a solid pairing alongside any

combination of Micky van de Ven, Marcos Senesi, Kevin Danso, or even a young Croatian,

whom we will discuss a little bit later. It has been reported that Spurs are looking for at least

£52M for the 2025 Europa League Player of the Tournament.

The next imminent exit in North London is keeper Guglielmo Vicario. If you had told me back in

March that Spurs would be replacing a keeper this summer, I would have guessed we would be

talking about Antonin Kinsky. That is far from the case at the moment, as Kinsky seems to be

set for a chance to earn the top spot in the goal under Roberto De Zerbi, and Vicario is looking

for a return to Serie A. While I think Vicario has been the recipient of a bit of unfair criticism, I

think it is time for the keeper to return home. Reports earlier this summer seemed to have Inter

Milan as the final landing spot for the keeper, but things have appeared to change as Juventus

now seems to be his most likely landing spot. Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez has also been

heavily linked with Juventus this summer, so there may be further twists to this transfer saga.

Spurs have multiple goalkeeper targets they are monitoring, but all of those moves seem to be

contingent on the sale of Guglielmo Vicario.

While Romero and Vicario seem to be the most likely to leave the club this summer, there are a

few other names that are starting to gain traction for an exit from North London. In recent days,

multiple clubs, including Bournemouth and Porto, have shown rising interest in the services of

Mathys Tel. While the youngster landed at Tottenham after a loan spell in the 2025 season, his

role seemed to be lessened this season and would likely further decrease should Spurs

complete their move for Savinho. Time will tell on this one. Additionally, Spurs’ desire for a new

striker would pave the way for a move for either Richarlison or Dom Solanke. Early indications

show that Richarlison is the more likely of the players to move on from the club, but these

rumors are still very much in the early stages. The last player of note with a high probability of

moving is defender Radu Dragusin. Main Tottenham reporter, Ali Gold, said that Dragusin is

“expected to depart this summer” in a YouTube update on June 5. Dragusin could be the club’s

SIXTH choice centerback this season, and with the club not being involved in Europe this

season, Dragusin seems to be one of the casualties of the lack of minutes this season. Reports

from Italy have claimed that Spurs are looking for a fee of £13M to £18M to complete the sale of

the defender.

Much Ado About Vuskovic

One of the biggest headlines for Tottenham Hotspur this summer is going to be their plan for

young defender Luka Vuskovic. On June 6, Ali Gold reported that Roberto De Zerbi is currently

mulling the options for the talented Croatian, who is now valued at £50M. Vuskovic has been

vocal that he would love to return to Hamburg for another year on loan. That would allow the

player to continue to develop, as well as the opportunity to play alongside his brother for another

season. That desire has been all but negated by Spurs as they are contemplating their next

move for the defender.

With multiple clubs interested in the player (Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, and Manchester

United, to name a few), Roberto De Zerbi appears to have the World Cup to decide the plan of

action for Vuskovic. It seems like both the club and the player are open to a move for the

youngster, but I worry that the club would be making a serious mistake. In Ali Gold’s report on

June 6, there is discussion that the player could go out on loan again this season and follow a

similar path of development to the likes of Arsenal’s William Saliba. It pains me to pay Woolwich

a compliment, but the long-term plan has worked out for all parties involved, as Saliba has

enjoyed a strong spell with the club.

Things got even spicier on the morning of June 12 as Brighton offered Tottenham a reported

£30M for the young defender as part of the plan for Spurs to complete the move of Jan Paul van

Hecke. This incensed Spurs supporters across social media, as many (including myself) were

not happy with that low value for the defender. It has since been reported that Spurs are not

willing to accept that transfer fee for Vuskovic and are not going to make any decisions on the

defender’s future until AFTER he returns from the World Cup. If Spurs are going to sell Vuskovic

this summer, I would fully expect the club to demand a MUCH higher transfer fee. I think it is

even possible that Spurs receive more money for the sale of Vuskovic than they could receive

for selling Cristian Romero! I know that seems crazy, Vuskovic’s value still has that level of

intrigue that could make him a very expensive purchase. Think back to 2017/18 when Dele Alli

had bossed Real Madrid at Wembley and was named back-to-back PFA Young Player of the

Year. Going into the summer of 2018, Dele’s value pushed upwards of NINE FIGURES. That

seems crazy, knowing the turn his career took in the coming years. Dele’s value rested on the

belief of what everyone perceived. This is a similar position Spurs find themselves in with Luka

Vuskovic. It may be an instance where Spurs learn from previous lessons and decide to make a

big-money move.

Personally, I think Vuskovic needs to at least start the season with the club. We all know the

club’s recent history with injuries among the squad, and I think it would benefit all parties for

Vuskovic to get some early minutes. The League Cup would be a great place for Vuskovic to cut

his teeth, and De Zerbi has been known to play a back-five at times, which would be a great

opportunity to get the player some minutes alongside the likes of any of the club’s current and

future centerbacks. Even if he inevitably goes on loan in January, we need to see Vuskovic in a

Spurs shirt this season. Letting him walk now makes all the effort and time poured into the

player seem moot.

That is a “brief” roundup of all the transfer news surrounding the club. While I could go into

greater detail, this is the most concrete information I have found on transfers involving

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. The good news? Silly Season never stays quiet for long, and

Tottenham’s summer is JUST getting started.

Thanks for reading. If you’d like to follow me personally for all things Tottenham Hotspur, you

can do so at @White_Hart_Live. Be sure to follow along with all of us at Spurs Daily as we bring

you all things Tottenham Hotspur. COME ON YOU SPURS!