Tottenham may have already welcomed six players to N17 this summer, but the deals may not be stopping there. Antonio Conte has been putting his Spurs squad through their paces during pre-season and has already given all of his new arrivals their first match minutes at their new club.
Ivan Perisic was Tottenham's first summer signing, followed by Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and finally Djed Spence. Conte told football.london in South Korea that he wouldn't rule out more incomings this summer, with Spurs "always looking to strengthen".
The Lilywhites have been linked with players across the world and with over a month left of the transfer window, there is still plenty of business that could get over the line. The focus now may turn to outgoings, with players wanting to leave for regular game time and some not being in Conte's plans for the 2022/23 campaign.
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One player who has been heavily linked with a move to the capital is Nicolo Zaniolo. Tottenham have added Bissouma to their midfield options and Richarlison in attack. However, there are still some thoughts on adding a creative and more attacking player to the squad. The current Roma man featured 28 times in Serie A last year and made ten European appearances.
Zaniolo is a versatile player, featuring in four different positions during the 2021/22 season. His most favoured is on the right wing or as a second striker. Conte does already have Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Moura as options on the right, so the 23-year-old could struggle for game time. However, with the busy fixture schedule and his versatility, the Italian would be more than likely to still be given opportunities to play.
Former Roma and Juventus star, Zbigniew Boniek has this week spoken on where he believes Zaniolo's best position is, which could be a further boost for Tottenham. "Zaniolo has incredible potential," he told New Sound Radio, via The Spurs Web.
"If you ask people what his position is, then everyone will give you a different response. In my view, he is a classic number nine. He can protect the ball, has physical strength, turns defenders well, is good in the air and can shoot.
"I always say when I see [Dusan] Vlahovic play that Zaniolo could do just as well. Perhaps even better, because he also has this strong physicality. He really is a great player," Boniek added.
Zaniolo is also a player both Conte and Fabio Paratici know, from their time in Italy, so if he was a key Tottenham target then he is clearly someone that has impressed the duo. The winger has had his fair share of injuries, including two cruciate ligament rupture and this would have to be something Spurs would need to assess.
The current Roma player has a market value of up to £33.7million, according to CIES and so would come at a cost to the north London side. Reports suggested that Spurs had offered £25million and even included Joe Rodon in a deal, but it was rejected by the Italian side.
This week another player that has previously been linked with a move to N17, Paulo Dybala, has opened up on conversations he has had with Zaniolo regarding his future.
"We all know him, his characteristics and what he can give. I had the opportunity to talk a little with him, the choice is his," Dybala admitted to Tuttomercatoweb, via HITC. "We all want to have the best players with us, we know what he can give us, but we can’t interfere with his future. I think he has to take care of it."
This doesn't rule out a move for the 23-year-old this summer and Dybala's praise for his new teammate clearly shows the quality and value he has in a squad. It seems as though the Italian still needs to make a decision regarding his future and Spurs would also need to evaluate if a move would strengthen Conte's side even more.
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