Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is reportedly preferring a move to Tottenham Hotspur over Italian side Atalanta this summer, according to The Athletic.
The lowdown: Spurs make eight-figure offer for Tomiyasu
Tottenham Hotspur's interest in signing Tomiyasu has been well-documented ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and it appears as though they're confident of reaching an agreement to land his signature.
Tomiyasu made 33 appearances in total for Bologna last term, as they finished 12th in the Serie A table, whilst under the management of Siniša Mihajlović.
The 6 foot 2 defender still has three years remaining on his contract with the Italian side, and Spurs have reportedly made an offer in the region of £12.9million for his services, with Tomiyasu having a valuation of £18million according to Transfermarkt.
The latest: Tomiyasu outlines future plans
The Athletic have claimed that Tomiyasu is reportedly keen on a move to Spurs, despite interest from both Manchester United and Atalanta this summer.
It's reported that the Japanese international isn't one of Manchester United's primary targets ahead of the new season though, with the Red Devils seemingly have their sights on signing Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.
Tottenham’s new managing director of football, Fabio Paratici, is leading the negotiations over a potential deal for Tomiyasu, so it'll be up to him to make sure the player's choice isn't all for nothing.
Newly-appointed boss Nuno Espirito Santo has also been briefed on the efforts to sign the 22-year-old.
The verdict: It's a promising update in Spurs' race to get the deal over the line
This will be pleasing to hear for Spurs supporters, who will be keen to see additional depth added to their squad ahead of the 2021/22 league campaign.
Tomiyasu is a player that Paratici and co clearly rate highly, and they'll be keen to get an agreement in place at the earliest of opportunities, as they look to avoid the risk of losing out to either Manchester United or Atalanta this summer.
At the age of 22, you would imagine that he's still got his best years ahead of him, and the Spurs supporters will be hoping that it's with them moving forwards, after he was hailed as a "giant" in defence by Italian media earlier this year.
He boasted an average of 1.5 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 3.3 clearances per game this season, and if Tomiyasu can hit the ground running with Nuno's side, then this could turn out to be a smart investment by the Premier League side in the long-term.