Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi is already making moves in the summer transfer window, with Andy Robertson arriving at the club on a free transfer from Liverpool.

A number of other players have been linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and one could be Como midfielder Martin Baturina.

According to Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio, two Premier League sides have made approaches to Como to sign the 23-year-old, with offers between €50million (£43million) and €55million (£47million) prepared. Di Marzio does not name the Premier League sides who are preparing to make an official bid, but confirmed that Como have slapped an €80million (£69million) price tag on his shoulder. Tottenham have been named elsewhere as potential suitors for his signature.

Baturina to add bite to Tottenham’s toothless midfield

Spurs have endured a pair of dreadful Premier League campaigns, finishing 17th in the past two seasons. Tottenham narrowly avoided relegation, securing their Premier League status for 2026/27 on the final day of the season at the expense of London rivals West Ham.

One area that contributed heavily to Tottenham’s struggles this season was a midfield sorely lacking creativity. Long-term injuries to both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski rid Spurs of much of their attacking steel, with the pair contributing 27 goal contributions during the 2024/25 league campaign.

Baturina, who turned 23 in February, has enjoyed a fruitful season in Cesc Fabregas‘ Como side. The Croatian international scored six times and assisted a further three in 29 Serie A appearances, helping Como to achieve an incredible fourth place finish and qualification for their first ever Champions League campaign.

Nothing but praise from Cesc Fabregas and Zlatko Dalić

Upon signing for Como last summer, Fabregas was quick to praise his intelligence and adaptability in midfield. “Martin is a player of immense quality. He’s intelligent on the ball, strong in duels, and has the personality to make things happen in key moments. He fits exactly the kind of football we’re building here.”

Baturina’s ability to contribute both going forward and defensively would clearly be of huge benefit to De Zerbi. As well as faltering in front of goal, Tottenham often failed to keep their opponents out. With 57 goals conceded, they had the fourth-worst defence in the Premier League last season, with their record only better than the three relegated teams.

The midfield prospect’s impressive form has also caught the eye of the Croatia manager, Zlatko Dalić. Following the side’s recent defeat against Belgium ahead of the World Cup, Dalić singled out Baturina as a real standout during the friendly. “He was very good, very committed and in excellent form. He was probably our most dangerous player in attack tonight.”

Baturina perfect for De Zerbi’s midfield rebuild

The 23-year-old remains a promising player with plenty of room to grow, and crucially, one that matches the profile of Tottenham’s recruitment strategy and market pull. Following two disappointing campaigns, Spurs have lost much of their ability to compete with Europe’s biggest teams for established talent.

But with De Zerbi at the helm, Baturina presents an affordable option who is both a first-team option today and an investment for the future. With proven quality in Serie A under the tutelage of Fabregas, who is similar in style to De Zerbi, Baturina will likely prove well suited to Tottenham’s midfield blueprint.

There have been 22 World Cup finals since the competition’s inception in 1930. Only eight different countries have lifted the iconic trophy in that time, proving it’s the hardest piece of silverware to win in football.

But which are the 20 most successful nations when it comes to the all-time World Cup table? Well, Transfermarkt have answered that question.

The format of the World Cup makes things a little tricky. The group stages speak for themselves; a win is three points, a draw is one point and a loss is zero points. As for the knockout rounds, the study has given out three points for a win inside 90 minutes, while any game that went to extra time has seen both teams pick up one point. That said, let’s take a look at the top 20 countries in World Cup history.

10

Sweden

Sweden isn’t a country that is synonymous with the World Cup. They aren’t always guaranteed qualifiers and often get knocked out in the group stages, but have managed to reach the semi-finals three times and were runners-up in 1958.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson are among the European nation’s greatest players. But even they weren’t able to reach the heights of the 20th century. Still, having more World Cup points than Portugal, for example, is very impressive.

9

Uruguay

Despite reaching the lofty heights of ninth in this table, it’s actually been quite a fall from grace for Uruguay. Considering they won the first two World Cups they entered – in 1930 and 1950 – the South Americans have since flattered to deceive.

Three fourth-place finishes are the closest they’ve come to winning the trophy since 1950, which is still impressive. They’d likely be even higher if they hadn’t missed four World Cups between 1974 and 2002.

8

Netherlands

The Netherlands are the only nation to have picked up more than 100 points in this system without actually winning the World Cup. They came closest in 1974 and 1978, when they were beaten in the final.

History repeated itself in 2010, when the Dutch were narrowly beaten by Spain in a final that saw the winner become a world champion for the first time ever. Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit and Dennis Bergkamp are among the best players to never win the competition, but they still dazzled and picked up many wins over the years.

7

Spain

Heading into the 2026 World Cup as one of the favourites to add to their trophy cabinet, Spain have picked up 110 points from 67 matches. It took a long time for the nation to get their hands on the trophy, winning it in 2010 for the first time.

They might be a powerhouse in world football now, but Spain didn’t feature in six of the first 10 World Cups for various reasons. From failing to qualify to being rejected by FIFA due to the Spanish Civil War, La Roja didn’t act like serious contenders until the 21st century. To have broken the 100-point mark, with all things considered, is a credit to the country’s progression in the game.

6

England

Bobby Moore 1966 World Cup

Football hasn’t come home in 60 years now. England have played at 15 World Cups, but have an inconsistent history. They famously won it in 1996 with players like Sir Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore leading the way.

Since then, the Three Lions have advanced to at least the quarter-finals five times. England have only failed to qualify for three World Cups since becoming a FIFA member, but the closest they’ve been to the trophy is a 2018 semi-final. To be ahead of Spain and two-time champions Uruguay is an impressive feat.

5

France

The wealth of talent at France’s disposal in recent times makes them instant favourites at any World Cup. However, Les Bleus have a chequered history in the iconic competition.

Two-time winners in their own right, the French have failed to get past the group stage on six occasions. They also withdrew from the 1950 tournament in Brazil, while they didn’t qualify four times (1970, 1974, 1990,1994). That said, France have accumulated 131 points overall, which is more than England in fewer matches.

4

Italy

It’s quite impressive that a nation that have only played in two World Cups since they won it in 2006 is so high in these rankings. Italy failed to qualify for the 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions of the tournament, and didn’t even make it past the 2010 or 2014 group stages.

While recent history isn’t on their side, there’s no arguing with their pedigree in the competition. The Azzurri won two of the first three World Cups, and have since added two more. Only Brazil have won it more times than Italy.

3

Argentina

It’s impressive that Argentina are third in the all-time table with 158 points in just 88 games. La Albiceleste refused to take part in the 1938, 1950 and 1954 tournaments due to a hosting dispute. However, the reigning champions are now one of the most successful nations in World Cup history, lifting the trophy on three occasions.

With two of the greatest players in football history, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, playing big roles in those triumphs, it’s hardly surprising that Argentina have been a formidable opponent. The last time they failed to get out of their group was all the way back in 2002.

2

Germany

Germany have an interesting history at the World Cup. A nation that is now united and lifted the 2014 trophy in Brazil was once split in two. West Germany won three world titles in 1954, 1974 and 1990, while East Germany were regular participants.

The European giants are just one of two countries to have picked up more than 200 points at the World Cup based on this system. Miroslav Klose remains the top goalscorer in the competition’s history, while 1990 winner Lothar Matthaus has the second-most appearances in history (25), only behind Lionel Messi (26).

1

Brazil

The most successful nation in the competition’s history, Brazil, were always likely to be top of the pile. The five-time winners haven’t lifted the iconic trophy since 2002, but have still amassed an incredible 247 points in total.

Even in the years when they haven’t won the silverware, Brazil are masters at getting past the group stages, meaning they’ve played more World Cup matches than any other country. The likes of Pele, Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho are just some of the world-class icons that have risen to the occasion for the Selecao on the biggest stage of all.

Rangers could be on the brink of earning a major cash injection this summer, after Galatasaray entered the race to sign one Ibrox star.

The Glasgow side are expecting a major squad overhaul for Danny Rohl after a disappointing season in which they finished third in the Scottish Premiership, and have already strengthened their striker position by signing Lawrence Shankland from Hearts on a free transfer.

That could now see another Ibrox forward on the move during the upcoming transfer window, with the Turkish champions keeping a close eye on one star in particular.

Galatasaray Eyeing Rangers Star Chermiti

According to Turkish journalist Seren Dag, Galatasaray have added Rangers striker Youssef Chermiti to their shortlist of transfer targets.

Chermiti, who has been described as ‘seriously talented’ by Russell Martin, was the club’s top scorer in all competitions this season, netting 15 goals following his move from Everton. That included huge goals against league winners Celtic and title challengers Hearts, and clubs are now paying attention to his availability.

As a result, Rangers have now put a €25m (£21.5m) asking price on the Portuguese forward’s head. That fee would be a club-record fee for Rangers to receive for a player, gazumping the €23m (£19.8m) they received from Ajax for Calvin Bassey.

It’s currently unclear if the Istanbul club would be willing to pay that, or whether Chermiti would be open to the move, but with Galatasaray playing in the Champions League next season, it is likely to appeal to the 22-year-old.

Rangers signed Chermiti for just £10m last summer, so cashing in for more than double that just 12 months later would be a huge coup for the Light Blues.

Rohl Can Make Do Without Chermiti

It’s evident that Chermiti has got some raw potential, and some attributes that could really suit Rangers in their pursuit of success next season.

But it’s also clear to see for anyone who watched him regularly this season that he isn’t a reliable source of goals yet, and will almost certainly find himself behind Shankland this summer. A transfer away shouldn’t be something that is actively being pursued, but should a big offer arrive, there’s no reason not to cash in.

Rangers have Bojan Miovski and Shankland already, both who have a proven goal record in Scotland, and £20m from one player would be absolutely huge for what they would be capable of doing in the market to strengthen other areas of the squad.