Fabio Paratici: Tottenham sporting director to leave club just three months after returning | Transfer Centre News

Tottenham’s joint sporting director Fabio Paratici is to leave the club and join Fiorentina following the end of the January transfer window, three months after returning to the club.

The Italian had originally left Spurs in April 2023 after his appeal against a two-and-a-half-year ban was rejected by Italy’s highest sports court, but returned to north London to work alongside existing sporting director Johan Lange in October last year.

Paratici will depart the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium again at the end of January, with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham explaining the Italian executive had expressed his desire to move back to his native country.

Venkatesham said: “We have agreed that Fabio will return to Italy following the conclusion of the January transfer window, in line with his wish to move back home.

“We thank Fabio for his contribution to the club and wish him well for the future. Our management structure is designed to be resilient to personnel changes, and it will be business as usual moving forward.”

Paratici said: “I want to thank Vinai and the board of Tottenham Hotspur for accommodating my desire to return to Italy and join Fiorentina.

“I have loved my time at the club, however this opportunity, together with the need to be based in my homeland, has led me to this decision.

“Spurs is a club that is very close to my heart. It has great people working for it, who are as passionate about the project as I am and want to bring sustained success. I have no doubt that they will achieve that and I will be watching closely from Italy.”

Analysis: No surprise over exit – and no clear replacement

Sky Sports News’ Michael Bridge:

“It’s not really a surprise at all. There have been rumours and talk about him moving back to Italy, this was his second spell as sporting director but I understand this is a personal decision.

“There have been murmurings about potential disagreements but that’s not the case. The other question is whether he gets replaced, and it’s not certain that there will be a replacement.

“If you see the statement it talks about the resilience of the management structure and how it is business as usual going forward.

“This is a very different Tottenham in this window, it’s the first time in 25 years Daniel Levy isn’t signing the cheques and the whole hierarchy are part of that now.

“Paratici is a very popular figure at Spurs, that’s why he was brought back in and he’s been central to a number of signings.

“A lot of them have worked, some others haven’t – Emerson Royal, Manor Solomon, for instance. It’s been up and down but he’ll still be a part of Spurs’ transfer business for this window.

“He’ll play quite a big part, one of the reasons he was so well liked at Spurs is that his contacts book is like the Yellow Pages. He leaves on very good terms.”

Gallagher completes medical ahead of £34m move

Conor Gallagher has completed his medical with Tottenham ahead of sealing a £34m transfer from Atletico Madrid.

Gallagher is expected to sign a five-and-a-half-year contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Elsewhere, no member of Thomas Frank‘s first-team squad is currently allowed to leave the club.

Mathys Tel has interest from Paris FC and Radu Dragusin from Roma – but they are still part of Frank’s plans.

Spurs are also finalising a £13m deal for Santos left-back Souza. The 19-year-old is being brought in to provide cover and competition for Destiny Udogie.