Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a move to sign Atalanta’s rising star Marco Palestra this summer as they look to rebuild their squad, according to Sports Boom.
The Lilywhites have had a horrific season and are currently battling against relegation from the Premier League, sitting just one point above the drop zone ahead of their trip to Anfield to face Liverpool this weekend, while they’re also clinging on in the Champions League Last 16 round following a 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in midweek.
But results this season have led to a number of top stars considering their future in north London, and that has seen the Spurs board start to make plans for the next campaign.
Tottenham Eyeing Palestra as Porro Replacement
Pedro Porro of Tottenham Hotspur on the ball during the Premier League match Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, United Kingdom, 29th November 2025 (Photo by Harvey Murphy/News Images)
One such player who has been linked with a move away from the club is Pedro Porro, with the right-back understood to be frustrated at Spurs, and garnering interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
Tottenham don’t want to lose a key player, but could find themselves in a difficult situation if big offers are made, and the recruitment department has already made club chiefs aware of a potential replacement for the Spaniard.
Young defender Palestra, who is currently on loan at Cagliari from Atalanta, has had a fine campaign in Serie A so far this season, and he has caught the attention of those in north London.
It’s understood that Spurs want to bring someone in to replace Porro who is just as strong going forward but also more steady defensively, with scout reports on the Italian labelling him as an ‘ideal successor’.
The 20-year-old, described as a ‘one of the most exciting wing-backs in Europe’, is someone seen as a ‘gem’ at Atalanta, and that has seen them slap a £43m price tag on his head to ensure that they get maximum value if anyone does firm up their interest with a formal offer.
Who is Marco Palestra?
Palestra is an exciting full-back with great pace, aggression, and an ability on the ball to get forward and be dangerous in and around the opposition box too.
GIVEMESPORT asked ChatGPT to break down his style of play, including strengths and weaknesses, and how he would fit in at Tottenham, and this was its response:
Position/profile: Attack-minded right-back/wing-back; former midfielder, comfortable in build-up and tactical systems.
Strengths: Composed passer, dangerous crosser, intelligent positioning, versatile (overlapping, inverted, or wing-back), strong stamina and forward runs.
Weaknesses: Lacks physical power, aerial dominance, and sometimes too safe in possession or not aggressive enough defensively.
Tottenham fit: Suits possession build-up and attacking full-back role; could rotate with/replace Pedro Porro as a technical, progressive RB. Potential long-term project rather than instant starter.
The Roberto De Zerbi overhaul is well under way at Tottenham, with six new signings already arriving at the club.
Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali have all been welcomed into the fold in the white half of north London and the Lilywhites are showing no signs of letting up in their big-money business just yet.
But with lots of incoming traffic there is an expectation that a number of current players will have to depart too and only Yves Bissouma – at the end of his contract – and Alejo Veliz have left as yet.
But that is about to change with a young player now set to leave the club too.
Alfie Devine signed for Spurs as a 15-year-old back in 2020 but has only made two first-team appearances, scoring once in the win over non-league side Marine in the FA Cup in 2021.
Now he looks set to depart the club, six years on from signing, as he makes the move to Preston North End on a permanent deal.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been lambasted by a former England international for his actions after his final World Cup appearance on Monday.
Ronaldo failed to prevent Portugal losing 1-0 to neighbours Spain in the last 16 of this summer’s showpiece international tournament. Arsenal’s Mikel Merino scored the only goal of the game in stoppage-time to set up a quarter-final tie against Belgium.
Questions are being asked of Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez, who leaves his post, after keeping 41-year-old Ronaldo on the pitch for the full 90 minutes again.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has been slammed for his ‘arrogant’ post-match interview in which he highlighted his international achievements. “I played 23 years in the national team and won three titles,” the Al-Nassr star said. “Before Cristiano, Portugal had not won anything. The Euros was the most important. For me, 2016 has the same dimension as a World Cup, honestly.”
It’s a slightly undignified end to the World Cup career of one football’s greatest ever players. The general consensus is that this was one major tournament too many for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
World football’s governing body issue statement on the referee whose integrity has been called into question by the US President
Agbonlahor Blasts Ronaldo
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Jerome
Former England forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has pulled no punches with his comments on talkSPORT.
The ex-Aston Villa star said: “Ronaldo, at times, it was walking football last night. You have to be running the channels, creating space for other places, and the fact Goncalo Ramos – who scored the winner in the last round against Croatia – didn’t get on the pitch, says it all.
“Ronaldo, not his fault because he wants to play and the manager’s playing him, cost Portugal this World Cup. There will be a lot of players like [Bruno] Fernandes, [Joao] Neves, Vitinha, [Nuno] Mendes… they’ll be looking and thinking ‘legend of a player for the country, but because of him we’re going home’.”
He continued: “Remember the famous words from Jamie Carragher on Casemiro: ‘leave the football before the football leaves you’.
“You look at Ronaldo now and you’re only taking the Portugal job if he is not in the squad.”
Opta’s Supercomputer claims England now have a stronger chance than Lionel Messi’s Argentina
Agbonlahor went on to criticise Ronaldo for failing to console his younger teammates and making Portugal’s World Cup exit all about himself. He added:
“It was the walking, the lack of pressing, the lack of offering anything, throwing his arms up at his players. Even after the final whistle he’s stood there, it’s the Ronaldo show, he’s not going around to the younger players to check if they’re okay. Everyone’s going over to him to come and make sure he’s okay.
ITV Sport
“There was a moment at the end of the time where there was a break and Roberto Martinez comes out with his iPad. Ronaldo throws his arms up and Martinez is like ‘woah’. Ronaldo walks in a different direction. That’s been the problem: Ronaldo is bigger than Portugal, simple as that.”
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When Jeff Stelling suggested Ronaldo lives on ‘planet me’, Agbonlahor added: “That’s the problem. People say ‘why does [Lionel] Messi have more favouritism from your average fan?’… because you don’t hear that from Messi.
“I think he said the EUROs are as big as the World Cup, it’s just nonsense.” Watch the clip in full below:
It will be fascinating to see what Portugal decide to do next once the dust has settled. Will they continue with Ronaldo leading the line for September and October’s UEFA Nations League fixtures, or will his extraordinary international career be brought to an end after 23 years?
Zayn only held the WWE Undisputed Championship for nine days after winning the belt at Night of Champions against defending champion Cody Rhodes and Gunther in front of a jubilant Riyadh crowd.
The defeat on Raw, however, has resulted in fans speculating over Zayn’s purpose in the company and where he goes from here.
Sami Zayn Loses WWE Title on Raw
Cody Rhodes was scheduled to face Zayn for the belt after defeating Jey Uso in a No. 1 contender’s match on Friday Night SmackDown, but was attacked by Gunther backstage, paving the way for CM Punk to return after a three-month break and take his place in Monday Night Raw’s main event.
Following the defeat, many fans have questioned the decision to give Sami Zayn the title in the first place if the intention was for him to be just a transitional champion.
Why Zayn lost the belt on Monday Night Raw
WON have since reported in the aftermath of Raw that WWE do not consider Zayn a “money player” in the company, and that is likely why he was beaten by Punk.
Credit: WWE
In response to said reports, fans have responded with outrage, with one commenting: “Most of the wrestlers there could be ‘money players’ but it is not in your plans to put them in the position to be those money players. This is your fault @WWE, not his.”
Another fan said: “They wonder why they always have to rely on already established stars.”
However, one viewer was cautiously optimistic: “You never say never in this business. Remember years ago when Cody Rhodes was just a gimmick wrestler? Now look at him… the big time. Was WWE’s golden one for well over a year not too long ago. Some people just need time.”
Sami Zayn’s WWE Career
Sami Zayn joined WWE back in 2013 and moved to the main roster two years later, taking on John Cena in his debut match for the United States Championship.
Zayn became a fan-favourite in 2022 when he became a part of The Bloodline storyline, which led to him main-eventing night one of WrestleMania 39.
There are a strict set of rules that need to be met to be deemed a WWE Grand Slam champion.
After everything he achieved, the one thing he was still clamouring for was a world title win which, once achieved, made him a Grand Slam champion and almost guarantees him a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.
It remains to be seen what role Zayn will have in the storyline going forward, but after his victory, CM Punk’s first challenger is expected to be Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam as one of the marquee matches of the event.
