According to Sky Sports, Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is 'said to prefer' a move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, with talks having been held.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Tomiyasu talks...

Spurs and managing director Fabio Paratici have been trying to prise the Japan international away from Serie A since the start of last month.

The Lilywhites first submitted a £12.9m (€15m) offer, plus an extra £2.6m (€3m) in add-ons, for the versatile ace, but it was swiftly rejected (Sky Sports). However, The Athletic reported a breakthrough some time afterwards and it was believed that terms were being finalised on a £15m deal plus add-ons.

There had been a lack of real updates after the Olympic Games despite confidence from Alasdair Gold's sources, with Sky Sports now bringing the latest.

The Latest: Tomiyasu prefers Spurs move...

According to the reliable outlet, Tottenham have indeed been in negotiations for Tomiyasu, who is rated at £17m, but have been unable to reach a full agreement so far. As such, Spurs are now looking at Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic as an alternative option and more talks are now being held.

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Tomiyasu is attracting attention from other Premier League clubs amid this dispute as Wolverhampton Wanderers make an inquiry for his services. However, the player is 'said to prefer' a move to N17 over Molineux and seemingly wants to join Nuno Espirito Santo at his new club.

The Verdict: Milenkovic...

We believe that Milenkovic has actually emerged as a better option for Tottenham in terms of ability and price tag.

Journalist Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic believes that the Serbian could leave Italy for as little as €15m (£12.7m) this summer in a possible 'straightforward' deal for Spurs (Twitter). At just 23, he would bring just as much as sell-on value to Spurs as Tomiyasu (22) while costing less.

Saving every penny in this sell-to-buy transfer market is crucial for Tottenham, especially if they want to invest more heavily into targets like Lautaro Martinez and Pau Torres (The Times), so Milenkovic may well be a better option than the Japanese defender.

In other news: Offer pending: Tottenham front race to sign 'very exciting' player with 'gigantic buzz', find out more here.