Reputable journalist Ryan Taylor has made a claim regarding Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek. 

The lowdown: Contract talks stalled

More or less an instant success since landing in the Premier League from Slavia Prague, Soucek has directly contributed to 21 goals in 105 appearances so far for the east Londoners.

Despite the seamless transition into life in England, the 27-year-old saw fresh contract talks put on hold earlier this year as the club attempted to tie down their talismanic ace amidst interest from Bayern Munich.

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Following a report claiming that Spurs and Juventus are also keen on signing the £40.5million valued Czech Republic international ace, one journalist has fuelled the fire of a potential cross-city swoop...

The latest: Conte an 'admirer'

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor has claimed that Antonio Conte is a fan of Soucek and Tottenham may well be primed to swoop.

He said: “I know Conte, from what I understand, seems to be an admirer of him. Obviously, he’s in talks with West Ham over a new contract, so I think that’s kind of linked to that situation, and they’re seeing what happens.

“It’s not a case of Soucek being one of the top targets, it’s just a player Tottenham seem to like, which is something that could potentially develop.”

The verdict: No brainer

Having qualified for the UEFA Champions League, Spurs are in a position to offer elite level football once again and must strengthen the ranks suitably in order to compete domestically and in Europe next term under Conte.

With the likes of Harry Winks, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele expected to leave the Lilywhites on a permanent basis this summer, adding the 6 foot 3 towering midfielder - who was described as 'incredible' by Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel - would be a worthwhile signing.

Last term, Soucek scored six times and provided one assist in a remarkable 51 outings across all competitions, proof if nothing else of a durability that would be welcomed with open arms by Conte should Fabio Paratici be able to pull the deal off.

If Taylor is proven to be correct, the prospect of potentially lining Soucek up in midfield alongside Rodrigo Bentancur with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg there to rotate in as well is very enticing.

In other news: Tottenham are now eyeing 'unstoppable' Ligue 1 star, read more here