Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci during the January transfer window.
Despite an indifferent start to the season, Ange Postecoglou's side have began to impress in recent weeks and have recorded five successive wins in all competitions.
There is the hope that using younger players in different cup competitions - such as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall - will eventually lead to them becoming mainstays in the first-team squad.
Should that prove to be the case, Spurs will not be short in the central-midfield department anytime soon, there already being four combative options as well as several attack-minded alternatives.
Nevertheless, it appears that the North Londoners' hierarchy have ambitions to further add to their ranks in a bid to close the gap to the teams above them in the Premier League.
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Ricci on Spurs radar
According to Football Insider, there is a desire to get a deal for Ricci over the line at the beginning of 2025.
However, it is noted that they may need to wait until the summer transfer window given the level that Ricci is currently producing in Serie A.
Six starts have been made in that competition, the 23-year-old helping Torino to sit in fifth place in the standings at this stage of the campaign.
Ricci also started each of Italy's recent two matches in the UEFA Nations League, helping the Azzurri to victories over France and Israel.
While Torino would ideally like to keep Ricci in the long term, he only possesses a contract until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
With Ricci having only represented Empoli and Torino, he has never played for a club in a European competition, making a renewal unrealistic at this stage.
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Paratici to influence chase?
The report suggests that former sporting director Fabio Paratici could have some influence on the race for Ricci if Spurs choose to proceed with that approach.
Although Paratici is no longer involved with Spurs, it is alleged that contact has remained with some of Spurs' scouting staff.