Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a major blow in the transfer market after it emerged that one star Roberto De Zerbi wants to keep has already agreed terms with another club.

Spurs avoided relegation on the final day of the season thanks to a 1-0 win over Everton, and are now looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the World Cup to ensure that scenario isn’t repeated next season.

De Zerbi has already green-lit deals for Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, who will join on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively once their contracts expire, but he now looks set to lose a key member of the squad that helped them earn survival.

Palhinha Reaches Agreement With Sporting CP

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Spurs loanee Joao Palhinha has already reached an agreement with former club Sporting CP about a return to his homeland this summer.

The holding midfielder, who scored vital goals against Wolves and Everton in the battle for survival, spent the season on loan from Bayern Munich, and the Lilywhites hold the option to make the move permanent, with De Zerbi previously admitting that he wanted to keep the Portugal international at the club, having described him as ‘one of the best’.

It’s understood that Palhinha is also open to staying at the north London club, but with Spurs unsure about triggering the clause, it has allowed Sporting to enter the race to take the 30-year-old back to Lisbon, and they have now agreed personal terms with him.

Sporting haven’t closed a deal though, as they still need to negotiate a fee with Bayern Munich. It’s reported that Sporting would prefer to strike a deal for a loan with an option to buy, and negotiations are ongoing with the Bundesliga giants about whether that is possible.

Spurs Plans Take Massive Hit

While Palhinha isn’t the most exciting signing around, he proved his worth at the back end of the season with his performances on the pitch and his leadership qualities.

He managed to change the mind of De Zerbi and became a key player. So for De Zerbi to enter the new season without him, having openly admitted that he wants him to stay at the club would be a major blow to the team, but also to their plans for the summer window.

In what is likely to be a hugely busy transfer market anyway, Spurs have lots of areas to address, and they won’t have been planning on replacing him, which makes their task that little bit more difficult ahead of a hugely important season.

Manchester City might be facing 115 charges of wrongdoing, but Ruben Dias is facing a singular charge of his own that he’s currently doing his best to fend off.

Dias is one of the finest defenders in the world. He was a cornerstone of Pep Guardiola’s City side and a former Ballon d’Or nominee. Since joining City from Benfica in 2020 for around £65 million, he’s near-enough picked up where Vincent Kompany had left off the year before.

He was named the Premier League Player of the Season in his debut campaign and collected four Premier League titles and a Champions League winners’ medal.

On the pitch, his reputation is unimpeachable. But off it, his personal life attracted huge public attention when his relationship with one of Britain’s most recognisable TV presenters became tabloid fodder.

Ruben Dias and Maya Jama: A High-Profile Romance Under the Spotlight

Dias and Maya Jama were together for approximately 18 months, with their relationship attracting massive amounts of media attention given both their profiles.

Jama is one of the UK’s biggest presenting talents, fronting the ever-popular reality show Love Island, and boasting a huge following on social media. The pairing of a Champions League winner and a primetime television personality was always going to draw eyes, and for the most part, the couple appeared to navigate the spotlight with a good degree of composure.

However, the relationship is understood to have come to an end just before Jama departed for Scotland to film Celebrity Traitors a few weeks ago. Almost immediately, rumours began to circulate over the reason for their break-up, with suggestions of infidelity directed squarely at Dias.

In screenshots reported by The Sun and allegedly dating back to March, Dias appeared to have been following and unfollowing model Catarina Duraes on social media. A similar pattern was reportedly observed with another woman last November. While there was no suggestion that Dias had directly messaged either woman or crossed any physical line, an insider told the publication that the behaviour “will raise eyebrows.”

The term “toe dipping,” used to describe flirtatious social media activity while in a committed relationship, began trending in connection with the 29-year-old’s name.

Ruben Dias Issues Lengthy Denial On Instagram

After weeks of silence, Dias addressed the rumours head-on with a lengthy statement posted to Instagram, and the trigger for it all was rather personal:

He went on to flatly deny the allegations, stating that the relationship had always been built on mutual respect and that no line was ever crossed: “A lie told often enough can start to feel like the truth and for that reason I tell you that I didn’t cheat, nor did I ever have the intention or temptation to.”

Dias also made a point of affirming his respect for Jama, writing: “I believe Maya deserves all the respect in the world.”

However, the City defender stopped short of revealing the actual reasons behind the split, insisting that those details remain private: “The reasons why we broke up are private and belong to us and we’ve both dealt with it in a very mature way. I’ve always chosen to remain silent on these matters as my personal life is my business only.”

Read Dias’ full statement below:

He concluded by asking for respect for both himself and his former partner, and made the broader point that infidelity isn’t the only reason a relationship can end.

It seems as though Dias has made his position abundantly clear. Whether the statement fully draws a line under the speculation is a totally different question, though.

Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko has revealed to GIVEMESPORT the secret to his success at Old Trafford in his debut season with the club.

Sesko joined from RB Leipzig in a deal worth a reported £74m including add-ons, and ended the season as the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions with 11 goals, helping the club finish third in the Premier League and return to the Champions League as a result.

United also completed big-money deals for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha last summer as they upgraded the attack, and all three players hit double figures for goals during the season, while captain and star playmaker Bruno Fernandes also enjoyed a sensational campaign, breaking the Premier League all-time assist record with 21.

Exclusive: Sesko ‘Loves’ Bruno, Cunha, Amad and Mbeumo

During an exclusive interview with GIVEMESPORT, where he sat down with journalist Sam Cohen, the 22-year-old striker discussed what made the new-look attack at Old Trafford work so well on the pitch.

“I think everyone has different kinds of skills that they can bring on the pitch, which is really important,” he said.

“We don’t have everyone with similarities, and it’s important in the club that they have all these skills. I think we’re all really skilled, and the quality that we brought this season, I think we can be more than happy.

“Not just that, I think we also work great as friends. It’s important to have good relationships that can bring success in the end.”

Sesko was then asked if they bond off the pitch too, and the forward revealed that they do in fact spend a lot of time together as a group.

“We go for dinner together,” he said. “That’s how you can get to know someone really better, you can have a chat, have a great time. I love those guys.”

Exclusive: Sesko Move Was Years in the Making

Sesko’s move to Old Trafford came about last summer despite strong links to other clubs throughout the window. But while speaking to GMS exclusively, the Slovenian admitted that he really wanted to move to Man Utd, and that their interest stemmed back several years.

“Then it just came, and I really wanted to come here. It was not a doubt, I wanted to come here, wanted to challenge myself, I wanted to become a member of the club, and I’m so happy about it.”