According to Sportitalia journalist Gianluigi Longari, Premier League duo Everton and Southampton have joined the race to sign Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga this summer.

The Lowdown: Italian interest in Tanganga

A number of reports have arisen from Italy recently linking the 23-year-old Spurs defender with a move to Serie A. Sky Italia have reported that AC Milan could be a possible suitor for the centre-back, after it emerged that his agent had held talks with the Italian giants earlier this week.

This follows the Rossoneri’s interest in January, with the Italian champions having been interested in taking Tanganga on loan for the remainder of the season.

The Latest: Longari’s news

Longari has now shared the latest news on a proposed exit from Hotspur Way for Tanganga.

As per the Sportitalia journalist (via Sport Witness), the defender has ‘many fans’ across Europe. From Italy, both Milan and Napoli are said to be closely monitoring the Spurs defender.

Furthermore, Longari claims that the 23-year-old has the option of remaining in the Premier League, where he has received ‘requests’ from Everton and Southampton, who are both keen on signing him on a loan deal for the season. However, it is understood that a switch to Serie A ‘teases’ the player.

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The Verdict: Great potential

With the centre-back having missed the second half of the Premier League season with a serious knee injury, Tanganga had previously amassed 11 league appearances during the 2021/22 campaign.

The youngster was seen to be on an upward trajectory with the Lilywhites, with pundit Gary Neville having asserted that the 23-year-old is a ‘really special’ player, while his former manager Jose Mourinho regularly described some of his performances as ‘amazing’.

However, Tanganga could follow in the footsteps of Fikayo Tomori, who joined Milan in a deal worth £25m. Following his impressive tenure in Serie A, the ex-Chelsea defender has been able to play his way back into Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Therefore, this suggests that a move to the Italian top flight could be in Tanganga's best interests if he isn’t going to get much game-time at Tottenham next season, having made just 11 league appearances last term.