Tottenham Hotspur suffered a setback ahead of their one-season tenure at Wembley after the Premier League said they cannot alter the dimensions of the playing surface, the Times reported yesterday.

Spurs will play home matches at the 90,000-capacity national stadium before moving to a new 61,500-seat home stadium, which will be ready for the 2018-19 campaign.

The Times reported last month that Tottenham were hoping to reduce the pitch size at Wembley to suit their high-pressing game but were told in a meeting of 20 Premier League chairmen that such a change would not be permitted.

Fiorentina sign right-back Gaspar

Fiorentina have announced the signing of defender Bruno Gaspar from Vitoria de Guimaraes on a five-year contract.

Gaspar becomes Stefano Pioli’s first signing since he took over from Paulo Sousa as head coach earlier this month.

Gaspar told fiorentina.it: “I’m happy to be here, Fiorentina is a club with a lot of history.”

The 24-year-old started his career at Benfica, where he played for the club’s second team in the second tier of Portuguese football, before joining Os Conquistadores on loan in September 2014, which was made permanent the following year.

Swansea keen to keep Sigurdsson

Swansea City have received no firm bids for midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and will do everything in their power to hang on to the “priceless” Iceland international, the Premier League club’s chairman Huw Jenkins has said.

Jenkins said the club did not want to sell either him or Spanish striker Fernando Llorente, who scored 15 goals.

“We’ve not had any firm bids and if we ever get any firm bids then we will deal with them in the proper way,” Jenkins told British media.

“Our aim is to try and keep Gylfi and Fernando.”

Short in talks with fans consortium

A consortium headed by Sunderland fans which is trying to buy the club is being backed in significant part by cash from the United States.

A report emerged yesterday claiming that television executives Leo Pearlman, Gabe Turner and Ben Turner – owners of Fulwell 73 Productions – are hoping to challenge a German consortium to buy out current owner Ellis Short.

The consortium, which reportedly includes former Arsenal defender Tony Adams and one-time Chelsea business affairs director Paul Smith, is understood to have opened initial discussions with Short, who appears to be ready to do business after a bruising spell at the Stadium of Light.

Italian trio chasing Matuidi

Milan, Inter and Juventus all want to sign PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi this summer, according to the player’s agent Mino Raiola.

Raiola appeared to have fallen out with Milan over another of his clients, Gianluigi Donnarumma, with the agent saying the Serie A club are to blame for the goalkeeper not wanting to extend his contract at the San Siro.

However, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Raiola said he has no problem with Milan and that they are among a handful of Italian clubs keeping tabs on Matuidi.

“I am not at war with AC Milan,” Raiola said.

“They are being kept informed about Blaise, as are Inter and Juventus. We will see. One year ago, a move to Juve (for Matuidi) fell through because of political problems (at PSG). Perhaps this time...”

Modeste set for China move

Cologne striker Anthony Modeste appears on the verge of a move to the Chinese Super League.

The Frenchman, who scored 25 goals in the Bundesliga last season, behind only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Robert Lewandowski, is set to join Tianjin Quanjian for a reported €35 million.

Cologne chief executive Jorg Schmadtke told Kicker: “It is going in that direction, although it is not yet finalised.”