Tottenham Hotspur have had a bid accepted for Franck Kessie, according to reports...

What's the word?

Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness) claim that Spurs have reached an agreement with AC Milan over a deal for the Ivory Coast midfielder, who is out of contract in the summer.

It's claimed that sporting director Fabio Paratici has recently made moves to sign the 25-year-old immediately, rather than waiting until the summer when no transfer fee would need to be paid.

It remains to be seen exactly how much the Lilywhites will have to pay to sign Kessie before Monday's transfer deadline, though CIES Football Observatory currently value him at €30m (£25m).

Whilst some reports have suggested that Milan were looking for around €10m (£8.5m) to let him leave this month.

Conte needs him

This latest update should please manager Antonio Conte hugely.

As per football.london, a new central midfielder is amongst the Italian's top three priority signings this month and that should come as no surprise as the likes of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli are all available for an exit.

Ex-Chelsea man Gianfranco Zola alluded to this on a Premier League Productions show (23/01/22 at 7:20 pm).

“I think in midfield, they need to have more depth. Right now, he told me that he doesn’t have many players. And not many options. I think they also need a different type of player in midfield, in my opinion," he said.

“They probably need a midfielder that can provide goals, like Eriksen used to do for them before. This is the type of player, in my opinion, they need very much."

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Kessie is an absolute animal in the engine room and would be a player that Conte would quickly fall in love with - someone capable of providing those goals.

He is capable of influencing the game in both halves, having delivered 13 goals in the Serie A last term - a feat only bettered by Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15) - on top of averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

This sort of box-to-box playing style has earned lofty comparisons to former Manchester City midfielder and Premier League champion Yaya Toure.

"I want Kessie in my team, he scores, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn't lose the ball, he's intelligent. I'm watching him carefully, with Roma it was devastating," ex-Milan striker Antonio Cassano told Bobo TV (via MilanLive).

"It reminds me of the Yaya Toure of the best times. He is a different player, but in terms of impact. He is holding Milan's midfield alone."

Meanwhile, former Milan boss Vincenzo Montella believes the Ivorian sensation is an "extraordinary player" with "sublime intelligence" - hardly much of a surprise given his influence defensively and inside the penalty area.

If Conte badly wants a new central option, then Spurs shouldn't look much further than Kessie and it appears they have edged ever so much closer to sealing such a move, as per the recent reports from Italy.

On the above evidence, he's a perfect fit for the 52-year-old in north London, so Paratici and co must convince the player to move now, rather than in the summer.

AND in other news, "Spurs are on it": Fabrizio Romano drops major transfer claim, fans will be buzzing...