Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon is attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that Barcelona are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the 25-year-old ahead of a potential swoop at the end of the current campaign.

The report goes on to state that the Spurs defender has been identified by Xavi as a potential long-term successor to Jordi Alba, however, it is also claimed that the Catalan side may struggle to afford a player the Premier League side spent €27m (£22.5m) on just a year and a half ago.

[snack-amp-story url= "https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2" title= "Read the latest Spurs news!"]

Conte must axe Reguilon

While it is true that Reguilon is still young enough to develop into a top-level full-back, the fact cannot be ignored that, since his switch to north London in 2020, the 25-year-old has somewhat struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League.

Indeed, over his 27 league appearances last season, the £25m-rated defender did not exactly set the world alight, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.6 key passes, 1.2 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 1.5 clearances and winning 4.3 duels - at a success rate of 48% - per game.

These returns saw the £68k-per-week Spain international average a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.74, ranking him as Tottenham's tenth-worst player in the English top flight.

And, while Reguilon's general level of performance has improved over his 23 Premier League fixtures this season, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.92, the left-back has still looked incredibly shaky at times, coming in for rather strong criticism following certain outings.

One such fixture was the 3-1 win over West Ham United last month, after which Spurs insider John Wenham stated of the 25-year-old:

"He's so average it's untrue. I always go back to these constant rumours about Barcelona or Real Madrid being interested in him. There's always stuff about them paying a premium for him, it's nonsense. He's just not that good. Against Manchester United, he didn't offer anything. Against West Ham was the same.

"For me, he is the worst of the bunch. He wasted so many chances against West Ham. You can absolutely see why Conte kept playing Sessegnon over him until he got injured. He wastes so many good crossing opportunities. He was very, very poor [against West Ham]. It's probably his worst game for Tottenham."

As such, should Barcelona indeed be interested in the Spaniard who Tom Young dubbed "pathetic" earlier this season, it would seem a very wise move for Conte to cash in on the defender while he has the chance, as it is clear for all to see that - for around £25m - the 52-year-old could find a much better option in the position this summer.

AND in other news: "We know that...": Sky Sports man drops big transfer update Spurs supporters will love