Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension transfer chief Fabio Paratici, have seemingly set their sights on a move for Napoli attacker Piotr Zielinski.
The Lowdown: Conte eyes midfield move...
According to reports, Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is keen to upgrade his options in central midfield this summer, with as many as eight players potentially leaving north London.
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The Times reported that Sergio Reguilón, Emerson Royal, Steven Bergwijn, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele could all be offloaded over the summer, with Conte eyeing replacements for the latter pair.
Youri Tielemans of Leicester City and former Lilywhites star Christian Eriksen are reportedly on Paratici's radar as the Italian chief aims to back Conte.
As per journalist Gianluigi Longari, the Premier League club now have Napoli playmaker Zielinski in their sights.
The Latest: Longari makes Zielinski claim...
The Sport Italia TV reporter, backing news from fellow Italian source Alfredo Pedulla, claimed that the Poland international is 'really appreciated' by Spurs' manager as the club, and by proxy Paratici, eye a move.
He explained (via Twitter): "#Tottenham are interested in #Zielinski who’s really appreciated by Antonio #Conte since Inter times. #THFC"
The Verdict: Make a move?
Zielinski reportedly has a £94m release clause in his most recent Napoli contract, which he signed in August 2020.
However, recent claims indicate that Azzurri president Aurelio De Laurentiis may be willing to sell for much less, albeit not exactly on the cheap at a mooted £60m.
The fact that Conte is a big admirer of Zielinski may be an indicator of the Poland international's ability, with comparisons even made to the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden in past seasons. Meanwhile, Flamengo boss and former Poland national team head coach Paulo Sousa has called him a 'beautiful footballer'.
All these garlands point towards a player with real quality, but at such a high price, Paratici will need to weigh up a move very carefully.
In other news: Tottenham readying talks to sign 23-year-old 'machine' after claim he's 'very keen' to play in London! Find out more here.