Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a golden opportunity to bring Leonardo Bonucci to north London this January.

That's according to a number of recent reports from Italy (via The Express), which claim that, having fallen out with Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri, the 35-year-old has now asked to leave the Serie A side in the winter transfer window.

Further reports have claimed that the centre-back could link up with his former manager, Antonio Conte, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January, with the Italy international said to be available on a cut-price deal.

Conte's dream signing

With Conte having attempted to sign Bonucci for both Chelsea and Inter Milan, should the defender indeed be available in the January market, it would appear extremely likely that the 53-year-old will instruct Fabio Paratici to do everything he can to bring the veteran centre-back to the club this winter.

And, considering the success the Italian manager has enjoyed with Bonucci in the heart of his defence in the past, it is not difficult to understand why Conte is such a big fan of the 118-cap international, nor why he would like to add the Juventus captain to his current central defensive options at Tottenham.

Indeed, during Conte's three-year spell in charge at the Allianz Stadium, the manager and Bonucci won three Serie A titles and two Supercoppa Italiana trophies - with the £5.4m-rated defender playing a crucial role in all five titles, featuring a total of 112 times under the management of the 53-year-old.

Furthermore, Conte has himself admitted his admiration for the 35-year-old, suggesting that his current central centre-back, Eric Dier, could go on to enjoy as impressive a career as the Italian stopper, as well as claiming that the 28-year-old England international should look up to Bonucci, stating:

“If you compare him with some of these important central defenders, don’t forget Eric started his career as a midfielder. In modern football, it means you can use him as a central defender but also as a No4. With the ball, Bonucci can be a really good example for him.

"But Bonucci did a lot in his career. Eric has just started this process, but for sure Leo is a really good example for him because we are talking about an important player. He won a lot with Juventus and the national team. I hope Eric can have this type of career."

As such, should Paratici indeed have the opportunity to bring the £200k-per-week player who Maurizio Pistocchi dubbed a "leader" and Marco Messina labelled "unreal" to north London this winter, he simply must do all he can to do so, as Bonucci would undoubtedly be a "dream signing" - in the words of Ives Galarcep - for Conte.