Tottenham Hotspur are being tipped to beat three Premier League rivals to the signing of a Juventus midfielder as talk of a January transfer window switch hots up.
Midfield is one of three main areas where Ange Postecoglou is looking to bolster his squad in the new year after a poor first half of the current campaign.
The Tottenham boss is keen on getting reinforcements at centre-back, left-back and in his engine room, while the possibility of signing another striker can also not be ruled out.
And, according to reports in Italy, Postecoglou could land the midfielder he wants from Juve as talk of a move for Nicolo Fagioli has significantly ramped up.
Fagioli has largely been a bit-part player since Thiago Motta arrived in Turin over the summer and it has been widely reported over the last few days that Spurs are plotting to sign the Bianconeri star.
It’s claimed that an offer of around €25million (£20.7m/ $26m) from the north London outfit may be enough to prise the midfielder away from the Allianz Stadium in the new year.
The latest update comes from IlBianconero, who state that Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham have made contact over a deal for the Juventus man ahead of the January window.
However, it is explained that Fagioli is not particularly interested in joining either of those sides and is more attracted by a switch to Tottenham, as he views them as the ‘more prestigious’ option.
Juventus willing to offload Fagioli
The same report goes on to say that the Old Lady would be willing to sell their academy graduate if they can recoup that figure if around €25m.
Indeed, former Juve defender Sergio Porrini suggested last week that the Turin giants should look to get Fagioli off their wage bill next month if they get the chance to do so.
He told Tutto Juve: “If the right amount were to arrive, I would honestly sell him. In this Juve, there is no star.
“So, everyone is important and no one is indispensable.”
It could be argued that Fagioli is not really the type of midfielder that Tottenham need right now, given that he is more an attacking player than a defensive one.
Postecoglou has had real issues defending his back four this season, especially since the partnership of Radu Dragusin and young midfielder Archie Gray have been forced to play together.
Yves Bissouma’s form continues to be very hit and miss and Pape Sarr is more of a box-to-box player than a holding midfielder.
The return of Rodrigo Bentancur from his seven-match ban against Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day will at least give Postecoglou some stability in his engine room again, but another body in that area will also be welcomed in the new year.
Latest Tottenham news: Veliz urged to make Prem return / Spurs back in for Championship keeper
Tottenham Hotspur striker Alejo Veliz has been told to consider a January switch to Leicester City so he can learn from Premier League great Jamie Vardy.
Veliz has lost his place in Espanyol’s starting eleven, after joining the LaLiga outfit on loan last summer, and has been struggling for game time in recent weeks.
And his former Rosario Central team-mate, Facundo Buonanotte, who is on loan at Leicester from Brighton, has urged the Spurs man to join him at the King Power.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are reportedly weighing up a £20million move for a top Championship goalkeeper following Fraser Forster’s blunders in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and Guglielmo Vicario’s long-term injury.
The Daily Mirror reports that Burnley star James Trafford has once again emerged as a January target for Spurs, with the Championship outfit set to demand £20m for the stopper.