Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a surprise move this week...

What's the word?

With less than four weeks to go in the summer transfer window, reports from Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb suggest that Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici has offered Japhet Tanganga to Paris Saint-Germain in a swap deal for midfielder Leandro Paredes.

Serie A giants Juventus are hugely keen on the Argentina international but Antonio Conte's side have now emerged with interest.

The Old Lady must ship Athur Melo out before they can make their move, whilst the Lilywhites are tempting Christophe Galtier with a defender that has future potential.

Lo Celso 2.0

Paredes isn't exactly what Spurs need or should want.

It's thought that manager Antonio Conte is after a playmaking talent capable of bringing some much-needed creativity to his midfield and the PSG man would struggle to deliver that in north London.

Across 113 appearances for the Ligue 1 champions, Paredes has only managed to lay on eight assists at an average of one every 884 minutes - nearly once every ten games, as per Transfermarkt.

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The Argentine is pretty good on the ball, however, having averaged 97.81 passes per 90, which sees him rank amongst the top 1% of his positional peers across Europe. He also sits within the top 15% for progressive passes (5.46 per 90), via FBref.

But Spurs have been here before.

Argentinian; midfielder; former PSG man?

That very much sounds like Giovani Lo Celso and that experiment failed dismally. After costing a club record-equalling £55m from LaLiga outfit Real Betis three years ago, the 26-year-old has only been able to muster up six assists from 84 appearances, averaging one every 766 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

Paredes, who has previously been lauded as the "ultimate midfielder" by WhoScored co-founder Cristiano Acconi, may well just be the second coming of Lo Celso at Hotspur Way and that's a worrying prospect indeed.

Also described as "smart, technical, aggressive" by former PSG star Fabrice Pancrate, the Argentine's eye-watering £148k-per-week wages are another discoruaging factor of why Paratici and his recruitment team should avoid completing this deal.

All in all, the Italian supremo risks disaster if he folows through with his interest in Paredes, he's the last thing Conte needs right now.

AND in other news, Paratici could sign Conte his own Frenkie de Jong in Spurs swoop for "incredible" 5 ft 10 gem...