Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Nicolo Zaniolo to the Premier League this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by Italian media outlet CalcioMercatoWeb, who claim that, following a number of recent reports linking Spurs with a move for the 23-year-old, Fabio Paratici has now seen a €55m (£46m) bid for the midfielder rejected by AS Roma.

However, the report goes on to state that Antonio Conte's side could yet return with an improved offer for the Italy international, despite it being previously reported that Jose Mourinho's outfit had originally set an asking price of €50m (£42m) for the former Inter Milan starlet.

Gutting blow for Conte

Considering just how keen Conte appears to be on securing a deal for Zaniolo this summer, the news that Roma have now rejected Paratici's £46m bid for the 23-year-old is sure to have come as a gutting blow for the 52-year-old Tottenham manager.

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And, considering just how impressive the forward-thinking midfielder was last season, it is not difficult to see why the Italian coach would like to add the nine-cap international to his current options in the middle of the park.

Indeed, over his 42 appearances in all competitions for the Giallorossi in 2021/22, the £29.7m-rated talent scored eight goals and registered nine assists, with the versatile forward playing a key role in Roma securing a sixth-place finish in Serie A and winning the inaugural Europa Conference League last time out.

As such, considering the fact that Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur managed just three goals and eight assists over their combined 94 outings in all competitions for Tottenham last season, it is clear to see that Zaniolo would add a much-needed attacking spark to Conte's current central midfield options.

However, if the latest reports are to be believed, Paratici will be required to submit an enormous £46m+ bid in order to seal a deal for the Italian sensation to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer - something it remains to be seen whether Spurs' budget will allow prior to the closure of the current market on September 1.