Tottenham's summer transfer window business may not be over, with a couple of weeks left before deadline day. Antonio Conte has already welcomed six new players to north London, with Destiny Udogie becoming the seventh signing, although he has been loaned back to Udinese for the rest of the season.
Spurs have already seen glimpses of their new arrivals in action, with Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and Ivan Perisic all getting Premier League minutes under their belt with their new club. However, there could still be more incomings and outgoings before the window slams shut.
After Spurs' 1-0 victory against Wolves on Saturday, Conte was asked about Bryan Gil's links to Valencia, and in his response, he seemed to outline Tottenham's transfer plan. "This squad is this, and if someone goes away, then another has to come," he admitted.
READ MORE: Every word Antonio Conte said on signing another new player, Perisic, Sessegnon, Gil and Kane
"This has to be very clear for everybody. Otherwise, we stay with this squad, and we continue our path with these players, this squad."
Therefore if Gil were to leave, Conte seems as though he would like a replacement, and before Monday night, this could've come in the form of Nicolo Zaniolo. Although the Spaniard predominantly plays on the left and Zaniolo on the right, Tottenham have a number of versatile wingers who can adapt to different positions in the front three.
The 23-year-old is a player who has been linked with the north London side for much of the summer, with various rumours floating about in regards to his future. The current Roma man made seven goal contributions in his 28 Serie A appearances last season under Jose Mourinho.
Reports have suggested Zaniolo is in talks to renew his contract with the Italian club, with his current one running out in 2024, however, this hasn't stopped the links with Spurs. football.london reported earlier this month that although the attacker has been a player of interest at Tottenham for a number of years, the club were playing down the links for Zaniolo.
The move would also potentially be a difficult one to complete, with the 23-year-old being a regular for Roma. If he made the move to Spurs, there would be a big battle for regular game time, no matter where Conte best saw him fitting.
However things during the transfer window can change so quickly, and with the Italian's most recent admission, a couple more Tottenham outgoings could've seen interest ramp up once again. The Serie A season has begun, and Roma currently sit third, after winning their first two matches.
As their 2022/23 campaign begins, Mourinho has already been full of praise for Zaniolo. "Dybala and Zaniolo played an extraordinary game, and both could have scored two goals each," he said, after their 1-0 victory over Salernitana, via HITC.
"I'm incapable of not saying that Dybala and Zaniolo played an extraordinary game. We were always in control of the game and we got three important points."
Not long after and the Portuguese head coach gave even more praise to his Italian attacker. "Zaniolo looks very sharp and physically agile, as it's not easy for a player like him to maintain that intensity for 90 minutes," he explained via the Express.
"He deserves the credit for training hard and having the right motivation." Zaniolo clearly holds value in the Roma squad and isn't a player Mourinho wants to see go, but his further comments suggested there was still some uncertainty about his future.
"If he remains or not, that's a question for the director, not for me. If you ask me, I'd love him to remain, obviously," Mourinho admitted. "He is an important player for us, a key piece of the puzzle to bring together all the characteristics of our players."
However hopes of Spurs signing the youngster may have come crashing down in Roma's 1-0 win against Cremonese as Zaniolo was stretchered off, after an awkward fall on his shoulder and after the game, Mourinho didn't seem too positive. "Losing a fundamental player like Nicolo was tough...He will be out for a while," the manager said. "I am worried, but crying won’t help."
The Tottenham camp are likely to be keeping a close eye on the Italian's injury updates, but a deal for Zaniolo wasn't likely to be an easy one to complete even without the injury, if Tottenham did decide to target him. With the 23-year-old's value in the Italian sides squad, he would likely come at a cost (current market value of £33.8million, according to CIES), and some reports have now suggested Chelsea have entered the race to sign the attacker.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Zaniolo, but after his unfortunate injury, Spurs links may be put on hold.
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