The Sweden international hasn’t enjoyed regular minutes since Roberto De Zerbi took charge of the Premier League side in March.

This season, the midfielder played 324 minutes from six matches and 180 were in the EFL Cup. Tottenham are out of the cup competition after losing to Liverpool in September.

The club has backed the manager by investing heavily on signing in the summer window.  Spurs spent big on bringing Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes from Newcastle United and West Ham United respectively.

Intermediaries working to secure Tottenham exit 

Last month, Lucas Bergvall committed his future to the north London club by signing an extension until 2031. Sport Witness covered a report from Sweden explaining that the new contract has resulted in a 200% raise.

With the lack of European competition, Tottenham Hotspur have the league and the FA Cup to focus on this season. This means Bergvall may not enjoy regular minutes.

On October 7th, Tutto Juve reported intermediaries have offered the 20-year-old to the Serie A side.

Since then, there have been a few reports discussing interest from other clubs. A fresh report from Tutto Juve points that out and then covers the latest about Juventus.

Tottenham in full control 

Juve manager Luciano Spalletti is looking for players who can hold the ball and move it forward, ‘without excessively slowing down the play’. He believes the Tottenham Hotspur man can be a solution.

The Old Lady believe a loan move can benefit all parties and have to convince Spurs. That won’t be easy because Roberto De Zerbi’s side aren’t willing to facilitate his exit during the next window.

There’s no intention to release the midfielder, especially after offering a new contract. In short, Tottenham are posing an obstacle for the Old Lady.

This shows Spurs have full control over his future. Despite the English club’s stance, Juve will continue to monitor Bergvall, to see if there’s an opening ahead of the next window.

The Swede’s decision will be key for Juventus or any other club to sign him, either on loan or a permanent transfer, in January.

The post Tottenham not willing to facilitate January exit – Midfielder set for tug-of-war appeared first on Sport Witness.

The attacking midfielder is one of the brightest prospects at the club, and his future is likely to be away from Old Trafford.

He joined Manchester United in 2022 and already starred for their U18s, managing 29 goals and four assists from 32 matches. In the summer, the Red Devils promoted him to U21.

Gabriel has five goals and two assists from three matches this season. He hasn’t featured since deciding to leave Michael Carrick’s side in September.

Manchester United man’s future in Spain 

On September 18th, Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund hailed the England U17 international as an exceptional talent. The Bundesliga winners, who are in the mix, are aware of his preference to play in Spain.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are his two main options in La Liga. Earlier this week, Sport Witness covered a report from Spain explaining that Los Blancos informed the English club about their interest.

On October 6th, JJ Gabriel turned 16 years of age, making him eligible to sign his first professional contract. Saturday’s edition of Sport states that after weeks of negotiations, ‘the moment of truth is approaching’ to decide his future.

The teenager has received offers from several clubs, including the La Liga duo. His new agent, Ali Barat, has gathered these proposals and is evaluating them with his family. The England U17 international’s entourage confirm to Sport he’ll make the final decision soon.

Real Madrid and Barcelona positions 

José Mourinho’s side are willing to meet both the sporting and the financial demands. The operation will cost €10m, including a three-year salary with performances related bonuses plus bonuses for his family and the agent.

Meanwhile, Barca sporting director Deco has publicly denied their interest in JJ Gabriel. However, Hansi Flick’s side acknowledge discussing the Manchester United player with Ali Barat during his first phase of the European tour to explore various options.

The newspaper states: ‘Despite Deco’s refusal, the player’s entourage has repeatedly expressed his desire to sign for Barca if certain minimum requirements are met in the sporting and financial offer.’

Bayern Munich didn’t convert their interest into an offer after finding the demands high.

Sport have no idea bout Paris Saint-Germain’s stance and insists PSG believe he will join a Spanish club.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have made moves. There should be more clarity on Gabriel’s next step, which, barring any surprises, will be away from Manchester United. His situation is ‘starting to take toll on those involved’, probably including the English club.

Gabriel was born in England to an Irish father and a Cypriot mother. Unless the young star obtains a Cypriot/EU passport, he can’t play for these aforementioned clubs until he turns 18 years of age.

The post ‘Moment of truth approaching’ – Manchester United man’s future decision imminent appeared first on Sport Witness.

The Mexico international knows Aguirre well when the latter was in charge of the national team between 2024 and 2026.

The West Ham man, who made 103 appearances for El Tri, played 23 matches under his orders and captained most of them. After the World Cup, Mexico parted ways with Aguirre, who joined Valencia in September.

Los Ches have endured a difficult run this season and parted ways with Carlos Corberán in September. Aguirre then took charge, and it’s no surprise there are rumours about some Mexican players.

West Ham man agent’s trip to Valencia

Tarek Sebiat is the European representative of the agency that manages Edson Álvarez and Cruz Azul’s Erik Lira. The latter has also played under Javier Aguirre for the national team.

Earlier this week, Sebiat had a meeting with Valencia. This led to suggestions of the La Liga side signing the West Ham United player and his compatriot in January.

The Spanish club host Athletic Club Bilbao in the league later today. In his pre-match press conference, a reporter asked Aguirre about the possibility of signing the 28-year-old or Lira for Valencia and Marca have relayed his comments.

“Just one of those coincidences, son, it was a coincidence,” he said.

The coach confirmed talks with Valencia officials over bringing in reinforcements in the next window.

“I can’t tell you, but there have been meetings. I meet with Braulio every day, and we talk about the past, the present, and the future. It’s our obligation to stay one step ahead to improve things. The first thing is to get three points; that will give us more time to talk,” Aguirre explained.

Record Mexico journalist Carlos Ponce de León took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to state that Sebiat’s visit to Valencia was a routine one and was not in regard to Álvarez or Lira. He adds the agent also had a ‘routing meeting’ with Villarreal and CA Osasuna.

Why West Ham exit on cards

The midfielder wanted a film crew to follow him during the World Cup while Javier Aguirre didn’t give the approval. He and his coaching staff weren’t happy about it. If the latter is true, it’s unlikely the manager would like to sign him for Valencia in January.

Edson Álvarez made one appearance for the Championship side this season, in their EFL Cup win over Port Vale on August 8th. Since then, he didn’t make to to Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad.

Mexico manager Rafael Márquez left him out for the last international break and is likely to drop the West Ham United player again in November.

If his situation doesn’t improve in the London, the former Ajax man may push for an exit after this year.

¿LIRA O EDSON AL VALENCIA?

Hay que aclarar la presencia de Tarek Sebiat, encargado de la oficina en Europa y punto de contacto de la agencia Stay Pro con los clubes del Viejo Continente:

No fue a negociar a Lira
Tampoco a Edson Álvarez

Fue “junta de rutina”; hasta noviembre o diciembre se mueve el mercado.

Como esa después se reunió con el Villarreal y hoy fue con Osasuna.

Es parte del plan de revisar opciones para sus jugadores.
@record_mexico

— Carlos Ponce de León (@Carlos_Ponz) October 15, 2026

The post “Coincidence” – Manager on signing West Ham player in January after agent meeting appeared first on Sport Witness.

The 22-year-old’s displays for Venezia caught the attention of a few clubs, including Newcastle United and Brentford.

He joined the Italian club in 2024, when they were in Serie A, and made 25 appearances in his debut season.

Venezia dropped out of the top flight, and the midfielder had a key role last season. He managed 10 goals and six assists and helped the club return to Serie A. This clearly didn’t go unnoticed in England and across Europe.

Newcastle United still keen 

In May, Sport Witness covered a report from Portugal explaining the Magpies and Everton had joined Sporting in the transfer race. The English clubs missed out, and the Lions signed him in July for €20m plus €6m bonuses.

He’s played 10 matches so far, managing a goal and an assist. The midfielder also made his Champions League debut and made two appearances.

Issa Doumbia continues to attract interest from his old suitors like Newcastle United, Brentford, Juventus and AS Roma, and A Bola covers the latest.

Newcastle United, the Turin club and Roma were all keen prior to his move to Portugal. Roma made an attempt when Sporting were on the verge of concluding the operation.

Conditions for January sale 

Brentford also missed out on signing Issa Doumbia in the summer, after making an initial approach. Sporting are fighting for the title and are in the Champions League, and these factors were crucial to convince him.

The move has worked out for the midfielder. His performances have sparked interest from Matthias Jaissle’s side, Brentford and the Serie A duo, who continue to have him on their radar.

A Bola states: ‘Juventus and Newcastle are clubs capable of making very bold offers, and even Roma and Brentford have signed players for over €40m more than once.’

His contract lasts until 2031, and Transfermarkt value him at €20m.

That contract includes an €80m release clause. Sporting will only sell him in January if there’s an ‘irresistible offer’, without a mention of their request.

Although Newcastle United are keen and capable of tabling a convincing bid, there’s no clarity whether they intend to take this further, at least during the next window. The Bees remain in the background to sign Doumbia.

The post Newcastle United not giving up on signing Sporting player – Also on bargain-eager Brentford’s radar appeared first on Sport Witness.

The left-back joined Burnley from Feyenoord in June 2025. Both Chelsea and Arsenal had looked at him while he was at the Eredivisie side.

Hartman is a product of the Dutch club’s youth system and made his first team debut in September 2022. He was a regular and his performances for Feyenoord had caught the Blues and the Gunners’ interest.

The fullback made 83 appearances for the Eredivisie side, managing two goals and 12 assists. Both Chelsea and Mikel Arteta’s side would have explored the possibility of signing him in 2024.

Why Chelsea and Arsenal didn’t sign Burnley man

In February 2025, the Dutchman had confirmed Chelsea wanted to sign him while he was at Feyenoord. A move never took shape because he suffered a serious knee injury in March 2024.

The setback forced Quilindschy Hartman to spend 307 days on the sidelines. This meant he couldn’t move to Stamford Bridge or Arsenal.

Last May, Sport Witness covered a report from the Dutch media about a fresh approach from the Blues. A move didn’t go through, and months later, Burnley secured his services.

He played 23 matches in his debuts eason for the Clarets, who dropped out of the Premier League. In the summer, Nicky Hayen’s side let him join Espanyol on loan.

Hartman on Chelsea and Arsenal + Burnley future 

The Clarets fullback is preparing for Espanyol’s clash against Atlético Madrid later today. Ahead of this tie, AS spoke to Quilindschy Hartman to discuss several topics, including the two London clubs.

AS points out that before his serious setback in 2024, there was ‘strong talk that Chelsea and Arsenal were interested in you…’

Responding to that, he said: “Yes. That’s life. But going to one place or another doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve had better luck. I think we all have a plan that’s already written. I never think about what could have been, because my life is already perfect.”

The Dutchman admits he wouldn’t have joined Espanyol had then dropped to the second division. The La Liga side signed him on loan for a season without a purchase clause. With his contract at Burnley until 2029, he’s not sure where his future lies after the loan spell.

“Probably not, but because I think it would have been financially impossible. Besides, we all want to play at the highest level,” Hartman explained.

On his future after this season, he added: “The truth is, I have no idea. In football, tomorrow is a long way off, so I think you have to focus on the present. We’ll see: I might stay or I might come back, it will depend on what Burnley does and what Espanyol does. And it will also depend on whether Espanyol likes me.”

Quilindschy Hartman
Career stats & achievements

Senior club career

Club	Years	Apps	Goals	Assists
Feyenoord	2022–2025	83	2	12
Burnley	2025–present	23	0	5
Espanyol (loan)	2026–present	4	0	0
Club total		110	2	17

Major honours

Achievement	Club	Season
Eredivisie champion	Feyenoord	2022/23
KNVB Cup winner	Feyenoord	2023/24

Stats cover senior competitive club matches, including domestic super cups.
Youth and reserve appearances excluded. Assists follow Opta definitions.
Hartman missed the 2024 KNVB Cup final through injury.· Updated 17 October 2026

The post “That’s life” – Burnley player confirms Chelsea and Arsenal interest appeared first on Sport Witness.

The winger joined the Turkish club from Alanyaspor in July 2024 and has settled for a limited role.

To put it in context, he’s played 3,663 minutes from 83 matches, managing nine goals and 15 assists. That’s an average of less than 45 minutes per game.

However, he played the full 90 minutes in Fenerbahçe’s crushing 6-0 loss to Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Attacker convinces Aston Villa

Despite the result, Oğuz Aydın stood out and that caught the Premier League side’s attention.

He didn’t score or assist, while had an XG of 0.33 and xA of 0.68. The attacker made three key passes and created one big chance. Aydın also had a 91% pass accuracy.

His performance convinced Unai Emery’s side, and Saturday’s print edition of Sabah shares more about their interest.

The Premier League side took advantage of Fenerbahçe’s trip to Birmingham to hold direct talks with them about the 25-year-old.

After the match, Aston Villa asked Fener officials to share more information about the player and the terms to sign the Turkey international in January.

Aston Villa planning to launch attempt

Sabah makes no mention of the Yellow Canaries’ demand or their stance on letting him leave. Oğuz Aydın has a contract until 2028, and Transfermarkt value him at €9m. The highest was €11m in June 2025.

The Europa League winners, for their part, plan to approach Fenerbahçe during the winter market.

There’s no indication or even a suggestion whether the player and/or his club are open to doing business in January.

If either is open, then it will improve Aston Villa’s chances of securing his services.

Taking the contract situation and his overall game time into account, the Villans may sign him for a reasonable fee, either in January or next summer.

Last June, Sport Witness covered a report from Turkey explaining that Everton had scouted him. The Toffees made an initial contact but didn’t make further advances to secure his services.

Whether Aston Villa will take the next step or decide to focus on other targets remains to be seen.

The post Aston Villa to advance for January signing after midweek transfer meeting appeared first on Sport Witness.

The attacking midfielder graduated from Bayer Leverkusen’s academy and spent five years with their first team. He managed 57 goals and 65 assists from 197 matches, of which 16 goals and 15 assists were during the 2024/25 season.

His fine displays for Leverkusen caught the attention of a few clubs, including Vincent Kompany’s side. Liverpool won the battle and invested €125m to secure his services in June 2025.

However, the Germany international is yet to replicate his Leverkusen form for the Reds. Last season, Wirtz finished with seven goals and 10 assists, with nine goal contributions in the league. This season, he’s failed to score and has two assists from eight matches.

Liverpool exit idea floated

The 23-year-old has been a subject of constant criticism both in the UK and Germany for his Liverpool performances. A section of the German media has also defended him.

On September 30th, SportBild reported the player is unhappy with the ‘internal power struggles’ at Anfield and may be edging towards an exit. The latest claims have talked about Bayern Munich as an option.

Herbert Hainer has wasted no time in dismissing the possibility of signing the Liverpool star in January. The Bavarian club’s president attended an event to unveil a memorial plaque for Willi Buisson on Friday.

He spoke to the media, and reporters asked him about the possibility of signing Florian Wirtz.

Florian Wirtz
Bayer Leverkusen vs Liverpool

Statistic	Leverkusen	Liverpool
Period	2020–2025	2025–present
Appearances	197	57
Minutes played	14,315	4,153
Goals	57	7
Assists	62	10
Goals + assists	119	17
Minutes per goal	251.1	593.3
Minutes per goal contribution	120.3	244.3

Senior competitive club matches, including domestic super cups.
Goal contribution = goal or assist. Lower minutes per contribution is better.
Assists follow Opta definitions.

Source:
Opta Analyst
· Updated 17 October 2026, before Brentford vs Liverpool

Why Bayern won’t sign Liverpool man

Herbert Hainer first expresses his disappointment at the player not reaching his best at Liverpool. Bild have relayed his comments.

“First of all, I think Florian Wirtz is an outstanding player, there’s absolutely no question about that,” he said.

“I almost feel a little sorry for him that he hasn’t yet reached the same form in England that he had at Leverkusen, because we also need him for the German national team.”

The president then explains why Bayern Munich won’t attempt to sign Florian Wirtz.

“We have such a top-class squad, we’re incredibly happy at the moment, and therefore it’s not an issue for us,” Hainer explained.

Bild states the president’s admission should rule out a move for Wirtz in January. He has a contract until 2030, and Andoni Iraola’s side are unlikely to let him leave midway through the season.

The post “Feel sorry for him” – President quizzed about signing Liverpool’s ‘outstanding player’ in January appeared first on Sport Witness.

The Uruguay international arrived in Europe when Sporting signed him from Mexican side Toluca FC in 2024. His performances, especially from last season, caught the attention of Arsenal, Manchester United and other Premier League sides.

In March, we exclusively reported on Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea making initial approaches.

A month later, Sport Witness exclusively revealed eight Premier League sides were chasing him. The two London clubs, Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Manchester City were among them.

The Portuguese club had set a €45-50m price while Araújo had an €80m release clause.

Maxi Araújo

Senior club career stats

Club	Apps	Goals	Assists
Montevideo Wanderers 2018–2019	33	1	0
Puebla 2020–2022	83	8	7
Toluca 2023–2024	64	11	9
Sporting CP 2024–present	102	12	12
Career total	282	32	28

Competitive first-team club matches recorded by Opta, including domestic cups, super cups, Leagues Cup and continental competitions. Excludes youth and reserve football, internationals and friendlies. Assists follow Opta’s records.
Source: Opta Analyst. Checked: 17 October 2026.

Arsenal and Manchester United there again 

None of the aforementioned Premier League sides were able to get the deal over the line in the summer window. Instead, the South American committed his future to Sporting by renewing his contract.

On August 3rd, Maxi Araújo signed an improved deal until 2030. Sport Witness are aware the Primeira Liga sode offered him a top contract. That put an end to the links until the latest claims pulled Arsenal and Manchester United into the mix.

The latest rumours mention Mikel Arteta side and the Red Devils preparing €65m bids.

A source has informed Sport Witness that there’s ‘nothing new’ about the Gunners and the Old Trafford club. There have been no developments since the two clubs first showed interest six months ago.

Araújo’s form and valuation 

Last season, operating mainly as a left-back, he managed seven goals and six assists from 47 matches. The defender also impressed for Uruguay at the World Cup, with two goals and an assist from three matches.

Maxi Araújo has maintained his place in the starting lineup this season, managing a goal and two assists from three matches. His consistent performances have also had a positive impact on his valuation.

Transfermarkt valued him at €5.5m when he joined Sporting in 2024 and that reached €17m at the end of his debut season. The figures have spiked, especially since last December, when it was €22m.

In March, it was €25m before another €10m raise in May and followed by a second raise of €5m in July to make it €40m.

This shows the fullback deserved an improved contract while top clubs continue to have him on their agenda.

With regards to Arsenal and Manchester United’s interest, there’s ‘nothing new’, only that they maintain interest.

The post Exclusive: What’s happening with Arsenal & Manchester United interest in South American appeared first on Sport Witness.

The Gambia international had suffered an injury during the pre-season with Brighton in August.

Towards the end of that month, Liverpool made multiple attempts to sign the winger but didn’t meet the Seagulls’ demand.

Andoni Iraola’s side saw their Premier League rivals rejecting multiple offers. Their last bid was around £60m, only for The Amex club to raise the price to £70m.

The Reds didn’t meet their demand, while Brighton further increased it to £80m in the last week of the window.

Why Liverpool didn’t sign Brighton star in summer

Journalist Foday Manneh regularly covered the saga in August. Last month, he told Sport Witness that Liverpool refused to meet Brighton’s demand because of Yankuba Minteh’s injury.

He said: “Liverpool found that not very reasonable. They informed Brighton it’s too much and they can’t reach £80m, especially since he’s injured.” 

Ahead of the January window, the Reds have received encouragement to try again for the Brighton & Hove Albion star.

Agency 1v1 Skills Football Management, who represents the 22-year-old, confirmed he’s close to regaining full fitness. On their official Instagram page, they posted pictures of the attacker returning to training.

The caption read: ‘Our star boy, Yankuba Minteh! Working hard to get back to full fitness after a long injury spell. We’re happy and excited to see you back in training. We can’t wait to see you back on the pitch doing what you do best.’

Liverpool’s new attempt not ruled out 

Foday Manneh told Sport Witness that the Merseyside club could make a new attempt in the winter market.

“The only thing that is there is the possibility of Liverpool coming back for him in January. It’s still not ruled out,” Manneh explained.

The journalist now took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to cover the Gambian’s return. He again points out about Fabian Hürzeler’s side rejecting two bids from Liverpool.

Yankuba Minteh’s immediate focus is to return to the pitch to help the Seagulls. This could convince Liverpool or a new suitor to make an attempt to sign him next year.

His contract lasts until 2029, and the price may depend upon his performances before the next window opens.

Yankuba Minteh is back in training for his club Brighton after his injury, his agency 1v1 announced.

Minteh had a late-fallen transfer to #LFC this summer after seeing two bids rejected for him.

He is now back to training, focused on full recovery and helping his team first ahead of the January window.

— Foday Manneh (@foday_manneh_) October 16, 2026

The post Yankuba Minteh: Update on Brighton player, and Liverpool target, ahead of January window appeared first on Sport Witness.

Sport Witness tracked how Jorge Mendes was central to the Portuguese’s future. He had drawn out offers from the Reds, who made initial contact for a deal.

This came right after he had did well in the second half of the 2025/26 campaign. He became a regular under Luciano Spalletti, who saw him as a consistent attacking outlet on the right.

Things are changing this season, as the player hasn’t replicated his impact. He has now found himself in the middle of controversy this week.

Reds deal was close

Tuttomercatoweb note that Conceicao was very angry after being taken off by Spalletti against Celta Vigo. He headed straight down the tunnel, which didn’t go down well at the club.

Spalletti also spoke about it, as he clarified that the Portuguese attacker needs to explain his actions.

The outlet further reveal that this comes after Liverpool had made progress in a deal for him in the summer.

At the end of July, the Reds put forward €50m to land the winger but the move never materialised. This is because Conceicao turned it down and the Bianconeri themselves also rejected the offer.

Juve’s decision was in the hope that the ex-Porto player took further steps forward to fulfilling his potential. So far, he has just one goal and appears unsettled.

It is noted that his relationship with Spalletti could now be affected, even though they were on great terms some months ago.

Francisco Conceição

Senior first-team club career stats

Club	Apps	Goals	Assists
Porto 2021–2022; 2023–2024	93	11	8
Ajax 2022–2023	28	1	3
Juventus 2024–present — initially on loan	90	12	10
First-team career total	211	24	21

All competitive first-team club matches, including domestic cups, European competitions and the FIFA Club World Cup. Excludes Porto B, Jong Ajax, youth football, internationals and friendlies. Club spells are combined; dates indicate first-team appearances. Assists follow Opta’s records.
Source: Opta Analyst. Checked: 16 October 2026.

Perhaps €50m was too much from Liverpool

The 23-year-old contributed to eight goals last season, finding the net three times in Serie A. Despite showing a very good 1v1 ability, he could never be consistent enough in the final third and that continues to be the case.

This suggests Liverpool may have been offering a little too much.

Conceicao’s physical traits can also be questioned and he’d have come in as a direct replacement for Mohamed Salah. He would have had to deal with immense pressure, however, that’s always the case with a club like Liverpool.

The post €50m Liverpool offer rejection isn’t working well as player very upset appeared first on Sport Witness.