Tottenham pull off a major signing success as Juventus line up a late move to snatch Kolo Muani
Tottenham Hotspur have wrapped up the permanent signing of a highly regarded young attacker from London rivals West Ham, while Juventus are still pushing to lure Randal Kolo Muani back to Turin before the winter transfer window shuts.
Spurs have secured the services of teenage winger Elisha Sowunmi for an undisclosed fee after he spent a decade developing at the London Stadium. The 18-year-old rose through every youth level at West Ham and played a key role in their success last season, helping the club lift the Under-18 Premier League Cup. Sowunmi provided both assists in the final victory over Reading.
Comfortable operating out wide or in a number 10 role, he finished last season as West Ham’s Under-18s top scorer, with standout performances that included hat-tricks against Reading and Aston Villa. With his contract set to expire at the end of the campaign, West Ham agreed to cash in this month, negotiating a sell-on clause as part of the deal with Tottenham.
Elsewhere, Italian reports suggest Juventus are preparing one last attempt to sign Randal Kolo Muani before Monday’s deadline, though time is running out for the Serie A side to persuade Spurs to allow the forward to leave. The French international enjoyed a productive spell in Turin during the latter half of last season, scoring 10 goals in 20 appearances across all competitions.
His form in north London, however, has been far less convincing. Kolo Muani has found the net just three times, all of those goals coming in the Champions League. Earlier this week, there were claims that Tottenham were open to sending the 27-year-old back to parent club Paris Saint-Germain ahead of a potential return to Juventus, but both Tuttosport and Gazzetta dello Sport reported that head coach Thomas Frank was opposed to the idea.
Frank remains confident in the striker’s abilities despite his limited output so far, and was particularly encouraged by Kolo Muani’s display in the midweek win over his former club Eintracht Frankfurt. Speaking ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City, the Spurs boss expressed hope that the performance would help restore the player’s confidence, highlighting his pace, one-on-one threat, movement in behind, and instinctive finishing.
The Dane also pointed to the disruption Kolo Muani has faced since arriving, including a lack of pre-season, injury setbacks and a broken jaw, suggesting these factors have hindered his rhythm. Frank indicated that signs of improvement are now emerging and believes the forward can still make a significant impact.
A key factor in Tottenham’s reluctance to sanction a departure so late in the window is the difficulty of sourcing a replacement. Richarlison remains sidelined, Dane Scarlett has joined Hibernian on loan, and Dominic Solanke has only recently returned from an extended ankle injury layoff.
Given the current circumstances, allowing Kolo Muani to leave at this stage would leave Spurs dangerously short in attack, unless an unexpected late deal is already in motion. As ever, Tottenham’s approach to deadline day suggests that drama may not be ruled out just yet.
