Antonio Conte is reportedly now strongly interested in signing Nahitan Nandez for Tottenham Hotspur once the January transfer window opens.

The Lowdown: Conte knows him well

Nandez is a player that Conte will know well from his time in the Serie A, where the Uruguay international has managed to score four goals and make a further nine assists in 88 games in total over all competitions for Cagliari over the last three seasons (both of the meetings between Cagliari and Conte's Inter last term.

With claims that Giovani Lo Celso could leave Spurs next month, added to the fact that they have been linked with midfielders like Franck Kessie in recent days, it is no surprise to see Nandez as a player that they would also be interested in, should he be allowed to leave Sardinia of course.

The Latest: Strong interest

As per Calciomercato, there is now 'strong interest' from Conte and the Lilywhites in Nandez, as well as from Inter.

However, Cagliari do not want to let him go, and he currently has a release clause of €36m (£30.3m), although it is thought that that price could be negotiated down.

The Verdict: Lo Celso replacement

If Lo Celso were to leave the Tottenham Hotspur stadium next month, then Nandez would be the perfect replacement for him.

Just one year older than the Argentine at 26, he has averaged more key passes (1.1), dribbles (1,5), crosses (0.6) and long balls (1.9) in their respective domestic leagues so far this season, on top of his two assists (WhoScored).

Serie A experts think very highly of him, including journalist Mina Rzouki, who even went as far as to claim that he was 'unstoppable' back in May, while Conor Clancy likened him to a 'machine' and described him as 'powerful' despite his small stature (This is Futbol).

Nonetheless, Nandez would certainly be a smart addition to Conte's squad for the right price.

In other news, find out who THFC's three worst players were against Southampton here!