According to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), a fresh Tottenham Hotspur transfer whisper has surfaced involving Antonio Conte and AS Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo.

The Lowdown: Conte makes transfer demands...

Even though the Italian has notoriously denied speaking about transfers behind closed doors to the press, reports from his homeland suggest otherwise.

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For example, Calciomercato said that the 52-year-old has already demanded a €280m (£239.4m) transfer kitty, whilst TUTTOmercatoWEB suggested that both Conte and Fabio Paratici have 'agreed' on their targets.

Zaniolo is one Serie A star who has been mentioned in recent weeks, with Corriere now sharing the latest on Conte's wishes to sign the player.

The Latest: Conte 'really' wants Zaniolo at Spurs...

As per their sources (via Sport Witness), it is believed that the Tottenham boss is desperate to sign the Roma playmaker and 'really likes' him, with the report going on to say that Conte would also 'really like' him to make the move to north London.

While they rule out the possibility of a January transfer, it is believed that it could be possible in 2022 and that Spurs' interest will be strong in the summer.

The Verdict: Perfect playmaker?

It is no secret that Tottenham have missed Christian Eriksen's presence in the final third since his departure to Inter Milan, but would Zaniolo be right man to finally replace him?

The Italy international, who La Gazzetta (via Sport Witness) believe is rated at around €70m (£59m), was actually a real target for Spurs in 2020 according to reports, with Corriere dello Sport claiming that they made a 'dizzying offer' in 2020.

Even before that, Spurs were said to be weighing a move as far back as 2019, with the Daily Express believing that he could be a 'perfect replacement long-term’ for Eriksen.

According to WhoScored, he has averaged the same amount of shots per 90 (2.3) as superstar Spurs duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, with only Lucas Moura completing more dribbles than Zaniolo in that time.

However, at such a lofty price tag, coupled with Roma's reluctance to let him leave, this transfer could be a tall order for Paratici and co.

In other news: Tottenham in contact over signing 'phenomenal' star as club directors spotted in London, find out more here.