Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is keen to bolster his squad once again after confirming the signings of multiple top young talents already this summer - with Juventus star Manuel Locatelli thought to be on his shortlist with Spurs aiming to implement control in their engine room this summer.
Locatelli has been at Juventus for three years after impressing whilst at Sassuolo, and he's been a huge part of their squad by only missing 15 Serie A games in that time, helping them through a rocky period of their history.
But with mass change ongoing at clubs across the continent, he could be on his way out - with Football Insider suggesting that Tottenham are keen to wrap up a deal for his services.
Tottenham 'Plotting' Locatelli Move
The midfielder could move to north London in the near future
The report states that Tottenham are 'plotting' a move to sign Juventus' Locatelli to bolster their central midfield options.
Football Insider senior correspondent Pete O'Rourke stated that manager Postecoglou wants to sign another central midfielder to solidify his ranks in the centre of the park, despite boasting top young talents such as Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr and more - with Locatelli's experience being paramount to their success.
The Italian, who has been described as a "monster", is high on Tottenham's transfer list, and is seen as the natural successor to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who departed for Marseille earlier in the summer. The report states that Juventus would be willing to sell the former Sassuolo star for a fee in the region of £20million, with his versatility seen as a huge bonus for the Lilywhites as they compete on four fronts this season having qualified for the Europa League last time out.
Tottenham have had success signing players from clubs in Italy in the past few seasons, with Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie and Dejan Kulusevski alone being three superb acquisitions, and so Locatelli could be on their agenda.
The midfielder provided six assists in all competitions last season, with a goal to add the cherry on the cake as Juventus qualified for the Champions League and won the Coppa Italia in a decent season for Bianconeri.
Tottenham Need to Bring in Experience
Youth signings must be counteracted with stars who have done it all
Spurs have massively bolstered their youth ranks under Postecoglou and if they can push on to record a top four finish, their efforts will have been massively rewarded. Gray and Bergvall are astute signings, whilst the addition of Dominic Solanke has given Tottenham exactly what they need going forward in terms of a frontman after failing to replace Harry Kane last summer.
The confirmation of Burnley's Wilson Odobert is another huge sign that Tottenham are planning towards the future with a whole host of Europe's most exciting young players.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Tottenham have already spent £126million this summer.
Locatelli is slightly different. At 26 years old, he is older than most of the crop they have brought in but with 243 Serie A appearances, the midfielder has plenty of experience and that includes the 29 appearances he has made in European competition, alongside boasting 28 caps for Italy.
That experience on the big stage can be invaluable, especially when bringing in players that haven't quite garnered that level of guidance despite boasting big potential.