Tottenham Hotspur are working on a quick deal for Manchester City forward Savinho as they close in on making another double signing for Roberto De Zerbi, according to Football Insider.

Even though the summer transfer window doesn’t officially open until Monday, Tottenham have already completed two signings for De Zerbi ahead of next season as they look to take a significant step after two successive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League.

Spurs have added experienced defensive duo Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi to their ranks, to boost a backline that has conceded 183 goals in the previous three Premier League campaigns.

The north London outfit’s business at the back hints at a major departure at the heart of the defence, with two prime candidates to go if recent reports are to be believed.

Brighton and Hove Albion have lodged a £30m bid for 19-year-old Luka Vuskovic, who is keen on a move to the Amex Stadium to work under Fabian Hurzeler and play regular first-team football.

Captain Cristian Romero has been linked with a move away for months, and appears more likely to go than Micky van de Ven, who GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs believes is more likely to sign a new contract than leave.

Tottenham Working on Fast Savinho Signing

via Reuters

Tottenham have been tracking Manchester City winger Savinho for more than a year now, and they are making a second attempt to bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after failing with a move last summer.

Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this month that Spurs are making ‘progress’ over a deal to bring the Brazilian to London, and now Football Insider claim that talks are expected to progress quickly with the ‘extraordinary’ 22-year-old determined to join De Zerbi’s side.

A transfer from City to Tottenham was blocked by City chiefs last summer, but after limited starts this term he is now keen to leave the Etihad in search of more regular minutes.

City are willing to reach an agreement with Tottenham that works for everybody involved, with Spurs chiefs now confident of sealing their third signing of the summer.

A bid of around £60m would likely be accepted by City, with Spurs now lining up a move that matches that value.

Tottenham ‘Closer’ to Jan Paul Van Hecke Agreement

via Reuters

As well as Savinho, Tottenham are working simultaneously on a deal to bring Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke to the club.

De Zerbi is clearly keen to add another centre-back to his ranks ahead of next season, even after the Senesi deal, although the Seagulls have a high valuation for the Dutchman even though he has just one year remaining on his contract on the south coast.

Reports out of the Netherlands in recent days suggested that a deal for Van Hecke was getting ‘closer and closer’, as ENIC continue to flex their muscles in the transfer market.

Football Insider claim Spurs are about to launch a third £55m bid for the Dutch international, who kicks off his World Cup campaign against Japan on Sunday night.

Tottenham were further boosted on Sunday by the news that right-back Pedro Porro has signed a new and improved five-year deal to stay at the club.

A World Cup nation’s team plane has been denied entry into the US the night before they are due to get their tournament underway, with delays threatening to derail their final preparations.

The situation has been described as chaos among local journalists, with more issues raised in an opening week that has been defined by players, coaches, staff and referees struggling to get beyond strict border control.

The idea that Donald Trump was congratulated ahead of the USA, Canada and Mexico showpiece event, and handed the inaugural FIFA ‘Peace Prize’, in Gianni Infantino’s insistence that the country would “welcome everyone” over the summer, is now laughable. And the latest issue to arise has put the affected nation at risk of receiving a hefty fine.

World Cup Nation Delayed En-Route to the USA As Plane Denied Entry

As reported by Romain Molina – a journalist who has previously worked for the BBC, The Guardian, and the New York Times – Uruguay’s team plane has been left stranded in Mexico due to missing documents ahead of their flight to Miami, where they are scheduled to face Saudi Arabia in Group H tomorrow night. He wrote on X:

It is being reported by some unconfirmed sources that FIFA are at fault for what is expected to be a three-hour delay. That would mean Uruguay’s press conference will be cancelled, while they are not set to arrive until later in the night.

Uruguay Have Genuine ‘Dark Horse’ Potential This Summer

Andres Cuenca via Reuters

The inaugural World Cup hosts and winners, Uruguay, are always tricky opposition and can sometimes upset the odds, such as defeating Brazil at the Maracana in the final in 1950. You could argue that La Celeste is the Atletico Madrid of South American football, although manager Marcelo Bielsa has them playing a completely different brand of football nowadays.

Ninth in our World Cup 2026 Power Rankings, Bielsa’s men finished fourth in the CONMEBOL qualifying table, winning seven of 18 games, including victories over Brazil and Argentina. Real Madrid‘s Federico Valverde is his country’s engine, while Darwin Nunez has fared well when donning his nation’s colours.

They will want to avoid an early stumble against Saudi Arabia, who surprised everyone with a group stage win over the 2022 winners during the last tournament. But travel complications certainly won’t help their chances.

Thirteen World Cup nations – including Curacao, Morocco and Senegal – have issued a joint statement condemning UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin over comments he made during the buildup to this summer’s tournament. There has already been plenty points of contention surrounding the competition, which is being co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Among the issues raised so far are visa problems that have seen players, coaches, staff and fans struggle to get past US border control. Ticket prices, as well as the cost of food and drinks at stadiums, have also become major talking points. Another less-documented issue highlighted by the UEFA chief concerns the tournament’s new format.

More nations, more games and, hopefully, more twists and turns do not seem like a bad thing for neutral fans. However, Ceferin has taken a different view of the expanded 48-team format – a stance that has not gone down well with many nations who earnt their rite of passage to this year’s tournament.

13 Nations Issue Joint Statement Amid UEFA Chief’s ‘Uninteresting’ Jab

Ceferin argued that the new format would lead to ‘uninteresting games’, since the level of opposition has decreased thanks to the opening of new qualification places. In response, Cape Verde, Curacao, Uzbekistan, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Ivory Coast have expressed their “profound disappointment” in a joint-statement:

The statement continued: “Behind every qualification stand years of work and investment. Behind every national team stand entire communities and millions of people who see football as a source of pride, hope and unity. Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality. The FIFA World Cup is the world’s greatest football competition precisely because it brings together different cultures, different histories and different football journeys.

“For many countries, participation in the FIFA World Cup is not only a sporting achievement. It is a moment that inspires a generation, accelerates football development and creates memories that last a lifetime. We believe that every nation that qualifies deserves respect. Every team has earned its place on merit. Every supporter has the right to dream. Every match carries meaning for millions of people around the world.

“We therefore reject the UEFA President’s comments and reaffirm our belief that the growth of football must continue to create opportunities, inspire new generations and strengthen the truly global nature of our game. “Every team qualified on merit. Every match matters.”

Ceferin’s Champions League Reformat Has Its Own Drawbacks

The issue with Ceferin’s comments is, not only does he overlook the importance of the World Cup to the newer, less experienced nations, but he has also been somewhat hypocritical. Just two seasons ago, he changed the Champions League format so that more teams could qualify, and there were more games.

Indeed, that has made for some interesting matchups during the initial league phase. However, more fixture scheduling headaches has also seen more injuries, and therefore, slower matches in general – particularly towards the end of the campaign.