Ex-Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici, who still advises the club on a consultancy basis, has been praised after news that Spurs are pursuing a £51 million star for Ange Postecoglou.
Paratici role explained as Spurs make summer transfer plans
Paratici’s influence at N17 still very much remains, despite his official worldwide ban from football.
The Italian was responsible for bringing in key players like Destiny Udogie, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur to name a few, thanks to his network of contacts in Serie A. Paratici, though, was forced to resign from his post as managing director last year after being slapped with his ban courtesy of FIFA – thanks to his alleged involvement in financial mispractice whilst at Juventus.
Paratici had his ban partially reduced in 2023, though, meaning he can assist Spurs in a limited capacity. Postecoglou has admitted contact with Paratici as the pair, alongside chairman Daniel Levy and the wider Spurs recruitment team, work on summer transfer planning.
| Tottenham’s best-performing players per 90 in the league this season | Average match rating per 90 (via WhoScored) |
|---|---|
| Son Heung-min | 7.30 |
| James Maddison | 7.15 |
| Manor Solomon | 7.05 |
| Pedro Porro | 7.03 |
| Cristian Romero | 7.01 |
Tottenham are laying the groundwork to sign a new forward with help from Paratici’s contacts, according to reports, and the 51-year-old has also received glowing reports on Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori.
It is also believed that Spurs are considering a bid for RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo, who commands a price tag of around £51 million if any interested side wish to make a formal move for the Spaniard.
Postecoglou apparently believes Olmo would slot perfectly into his Spurs system, which is testament to Paratici and Tottenham chiefs after they identified him.
Robinson praises Paratici as Tottenham target Olmo
Speaking to Tottenham News, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has praised Paratici as Spurs eye a move for Olmo this summer, claiming the winger is exactly the calibre of player who they should be going for.
“I think he’s a good player and has attracted a lot of Premier League interest. If Tottenham are in for players like that, that can only be a good thing. You can’t question the Spurs recruitment.
“[Fabio] Paratici’s fingerprints are still all over it, looking at the signings of Van de Ven, Vicario, Bentancur, Kulusevski. It’s rare that Spurs go out and pay a big fee for individuals. They did it with Johnson from Nottingham Forest but that wasn’t a huge fee and with Richarlison for the £50million they paid to Everton.
“But actually, if they’re going to be in the bracket of teams challenging to sign Olmo, it’s an improvement. The Champions League is still there. Looking at Spurs’ games, it is very difficult with games against Liverpool, Burnley, Manchester City and Sheffield United.
“They’ve got it all to do, but the Champions League makes a huge difference to the budget for next season. If they’re in for the likes of Olmo, it’s an improvement and they’re in the right market.”
