‘Paratici to work his magic at Tottenham’ as Rafael Leão transfer update drops
Tottenham never seem too far from a deal with Fabio Paratici’s fingerprints over it.
Paratici still has a contract with Tottenham as a transfer consultant, having left his full-time role at the club to serve out his 30-month ban.
The Italian football operator is still highly regarded by Daniel Levy, who has placed a surprising amount of trust in the 52-year-old.
Johan Lange has taken over the bulk of the transfer business at Spurs this summer and has been credited for bringing Mohammed Kudus to N17. However, Paratici could yet have a significant part to play.
Spurs could move for Rafael Leão if price changes
Thomas Frank is still keen to bring in another forward to Spurs, particularly on the left, to cover for Son Heung-min’s potential exit.
The Danish manager’s brief will not be dissimilar to the one that led Spurs to Kudus. He will want a versatile attacker with an eye for goal that can help break down low blocks.
One option Spurs could consider is Rafael Leão, if AC Milan lower their valuation for the player and he shows a willingness to leave, as reported by Ben Jacobs via the Last Word on Spurs Podcast (17 July).
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
| 2024/25 | 50 | 12 | 13 | 3,499′ |
| 2023/24 | 47 | 15 | 14 | 3,548′ |
| 2022/23 | 48 | 16 | 15 | 3,488′ |
Paratici is a big fan of the Portugal international, who has been one of Europe’s most feared wide forwards over the last five years.
Statistically, the 26-year-old has shown remarkable consistency each season, although he has been criticised for not having an impact in some games.
Nevertheless, he is an exceptional talent, and Spurs will hope that Paratici can work his magic to bring the former Lille player to Tottenham.
Leão would stunt young players’ growth at Spurs
Leão is an exceptional player on his day, and would no doubt improve Tottenham’s first team and add an element of stardust to the North Londoners that would excite the Lilywhites.
However, his profile is such that he would expect to play almost every minute of every game, as he has done in Italy, which would significantly stunt the growth of Spurs’ young players.
Mikey Moore, Mathys Tel, and Wilson Odobert will all hope to battle it out for a spot on the left-hand side and are expected to be rotated depending on the opposition.
This will not be the case if Leão arrives, and for the price and likely wages he would demand, it does not seem like the right moment to pursue the talented forward.
Sign up for the daily Tottenham News newsletter on Substack and our new WhatsApp channel to have all the latest, breaking Tottenham Hotspur news sent straight to your phone.