Souza (full name: João Victor de Souza Menezes), the 19-year-old left-back from Santos FC in Brazil, is currently the subject of transfer interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
As of early January 2026, Tottenham submitted an official bid for the promising young defender, but Santos rejected it outright.
Reports indicate Spurs’ offer was around €10-11 million (or lower), while Santos are holding firm at a minimum of €17 million for 70% of his economic rights. The Brazilian club views Souza as a key asset and has no urgency to sell mid-season, making a January move highly unlikely unless Tottenham significantly improves their proposal.
Souza, who broke through at Santos and plays alongside Neymar there, has a contract until 2028 and is seen as one of Brazil’s top emerging talents in his position. Previous interest from clubs like Chelsea and AC Milan was also rebuffed.
Tottenham certainly have the financial muscle to pay €17 million for him, and it remains to be seen whether they decide to return with an improved offer. They need more depth in the squad if they want to do well across multiple competitions. Signing some of the best young talents around would be a step in the right direction.
Souza will certainly hope to compete at the highest level. He hopes that clubs like Tottenham can secure an agreement with Santos in the coming weeks.
No deal has been completed, and negotiations appear stalled for now. Tottenham are looking to bolster their left-back options under manager Thomas Frank, but Santos’ stance has cooled talks.
