Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a summer 'assault' for young Sampdoria midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard, according to Samp News 24.

The lowdown

Damsgaard only signed for Sampdoria last summer, making a £6.08 million move from Nordsjaelland in his native Denmark.

The 20-year-old made 35 Serie A appearances in his debut season, 18 of which were starts.

Predominantly a left midfielder, Damsgaard scored two goals and provided four assists (via WhoScored).

Claudio Ranieri, a title-winning manager with Leicester City and Damsgaard's former manager at Sampdoria, described him as a 'prodigy'.

He's currently representing his country at the European Championships.

The latest

Spurs have apparently been targeting Damsgaard 'for months', and the arrival of Fabio Paratici as managing director of football will add fresh impetus to their pursuit.

Sampdoria don't want to sell their starlet, but the report says an offer of €20million (£17.2million) could be enough to tempt them.

Spurs aren't the only team tracking him, with Serie A giants Inter and Juventus also said to be interested.

The verdict

Damsgaard looks to be one of the most exciting young attacking talents in Europe, and Spurs could regret it if a rival suitor swoops in.

His attacking numbers might not be eye-catching, but his ceiling is clearly very high. Let's not forget that 17 of his appearances came off the bench - if you look at his numbers per 90 minutes, he managed 2.6 dribbles and 2.1 tackles per showing, providing a great balance of skill going forward and tenaciousness in tracking back.

The proposed fee also looks reasonable, especially when you consider that it's already tripled in the space of 12 months, suggesting he could be worth much more as he continues to develop.

Spurs could thus secure a player with plenty of potential and make profit in the long-term if he is sold again in the future.

In other news, Alasdair Gold has shed light on Paratici's plan.