As per Italian newspaper Il Tempo, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur have their sights on another Serie A star in Roma playmaker Nicolo Zaniolo.
The Lowdown: Conte eyeing Serie A raid...
Sources from abroad have already indicated that Spurs' new manager Antonio Conte is set to raid his homeland in search of top talent.
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Indeed, Calciomercato first namedropped a plethora of Serie A stars being eyed by the Italian, while other reports from England claimed that the 52-year-old will be backed by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.
Sharing news after Conte's appointment, The Sun believe he will be granted a £150m kitty to oversee a major squad overhaul.
Dusan Vlahovic and Franck Kessie are two names repeatedly linked with a move to north London, while the former Chelsea boss is also said to be eyeing defensive reinforcements in Stefan de Vrij and Matthijs de Ligt.
Sharing more news on Tottenham's transfer plans, Il Tempo bring an update as the club cast one eye on a possible heir to former club favourite Christian Eriksen.
The Latest: Spurs eye Zaniolo move...
As per the Italian newspaper, via Sport Witness, Tottenham are 'at the window' for Roma's prized asset as they await 'developments in the transfer window' regarding his future at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Serie A giants see Zaniolo as a 'pillar of the future' and want to extend his deal, even though his current contract isn't set to expire until 2024.
They are apparently aware of interest from both Spurs and Juventus, with the two clubs watching on and waiting to see what happens ahead of January.
The Verdict: Ideal Eriksen replacement...
Despite his injury issues over the past year, Zaniolo could come as an ideal heir to Eriksen nearly two years after the latter's departure to Inter Milan.
The Lilywhites have sorely missed his threatening presence in midfield, as emphasised by Ramon Vega and Jamie O'Hara, and the 22-year-old's numbers indicate he could be a real attacking asset for Tottenham.
Over his 10 Serie A starts this season, the Italy international has averaged an impressive 2.2 shots on goal per 90, with only superstar duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min managing more in a Spurs jersey (WhoScored).
The top talent has also completed 2.2 successful take-ons per match in that time, with winger Lucas Moura the only Tottenham player to better that number so far over 2021/22 (WhoScored).
Zaniolo has also attracted major plaudits, namely from Stefano Vecchi, his former coach at Inter, who called him a 'Lampard-type' player in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Goal). Meanwhile, speaking on Tottenham's previous interest in the player to succeed Eriksen in late 2019, The Daily Express claimed that the Roma starlet could be the 'the perfect replacement long-term'.
Valued at around £36m by Transfermarkt, this could be a small price to pay for a player who is evidently quite highly regarded.
In other news: 'Coming from Tottenham'...Journalist makes exciting transfer claim with offer on the table, find out more here.