Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Davide Frattesi after the World Cup...

What's the word?

According to Italian outlet Il Resto del Carlino, the north London outfit are one of several teams interested in signing the Sassuolo midfielder heading into the January transfer window.

Jose Mourinho at AS Roma, as well as Premier League rivals Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion, are said to be hot on the 23-year-old's tail too.

The Neroverdi only tied Frattesi down to a new £21.8k-per-week contract earlier in the year, with that deal set to expire in 2026, though it's thought they would sell him if a bid in excess of €30m (£26m) was offered.

Shades of Barella

Spurs' interest in the box-to-box maestro should come as little surprise, given their recent success stories in buying from the Serie A - both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur have been instant hits over in N17, whilst Destiny Udogie is in line to replicate that feat next season.

Another central midfielder may not be high on the agenda of some around Hotspur Way but there is no denying that Frattesi is hugely talented, having now picked up four caps for Italy at senior level,  including two against England, who unlike Roberto Mancini's men are at the World Cup in Qatar this month.

The Italian sensation appears to be an old-school type of midfielder in the mould of a Frank Lampard or a Steven Gerrard as he has developed a knack for being in the right place at the right time in front of goal.

Indeed, his four goals in the Serie A this term - or 0.24 non-penalty efforts per 90 - sees him rank inside the top 3% of his fellow midfielders across Europe's elite five divisions and he ranks the same for shots, averaging 2.19 per 90, via FBref.

Such form has caught the eye, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano a noted fan of his as told Empire of the Kop back in December 2021: "Fratesi seems to be the next Barella. He’s this kind of player, super talented, very interesting."

What is most intriguing is the comparison to Antonio Conte's former Inter Milan gem, Nicolo Barella, who himself has been likened to one of the aforementioned top-flight greats.

The fellow Italy international appeared 87 times under the 53-year-old tactician, where he provided a whopping 28 goal contributions - as well as a Scudetto triumph to boot - and Conte still remains a big admirer to this day.

But it is perhaps Frattesi that offers a cheaper alternative, given the €90m (£78m) price tag that Inter slapped on Barella during the summer.

As such, Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici could well secure Conte his 'next Barella' by swooping for the Sassuolo machine at the turn of the new year, where Spurs will be desperate to add quality to bolster their domestic and European ambitions.

AND in other news, Spurs keeping tabs on "special" £26.2m World Cup "wonder", he could be the next Lionel Messi...