Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to be linked to coveted Euro 2020 champion Manuel Locatelli in this transfer window...

What's the word?

According to Calciomercato.it, Spurs have entered the race to sign the Sassuolo and Italy midfielder as talks with Juventus continue to rumble on without much success.

Arch-rivals Arsenal have also been credited with an interest in the 23-year-old.

It's thought that Locatelli is currently available for just €40m (£34m), as per Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, even despite his success on the international stage this summer.

 

Imagine him and Hojbjerg

A move for a new midfielder may come as a surprise to some, but with the futures of Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko in doubt, new Spurs boss Nuno Santo should absolutely look to secure an upgrade in that position.

The Portuguese coach needs that perfect option alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and he could find a nice balance by signing Locatelli.

Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, the 6 foot 1 enforcer played in five of seven matches as Italy went on to beat Harry Kane's England side in the Euro 2020 final.

It was just desserts for the midfielder, who performed admirably throughout the 2020/21 domestic campaign - as per Transfermarkt, he delivered seven goal contributions in 34 appearances from the engine room.

Furthermore, Locatelli was graded as Sassuolo's second-best player of the season, averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.08, which was higher than any of Nuno's current midfield options.

Whilst Hojbjerg is a more defensively-minded midfielder, the 15-cap Italy international offers more going forward but that doesn't hinder his defensive output whatsoever. He can work both boxes, which in turn could allow someone like Tanguy Ndombele to thrive further forward.

An average of 2.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 1.2 shots and 1.1 key passes per game and a seasonal 88.3% passing accuracy, via WhoScored, would back that up greatly.

As a result, it's no wonder he has been dubbed a "real dominator" in midfield and an "extremely talented" player.

If Nuno is to get the perfect balance in midfield this season, then Spurs chairman Daniel Levy must look to sanction a £34m move for Locatelli.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops major Spurs transfer update that is sure to leave fans buzzing...