Conte and Paratici want 22-year-old Serie A playmaker at Tottenham | OneFootball

Transfer News: Tottenham are interested in signing Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato (h/t Football.London), Tottenham manager Antonio Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici are tracking Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo to lure the player when the opportunity arrives.

Nicolo Zaniolo has stepped up in recent seasons. The youngster has shown tremendous positive growth in his performances with Roma. Even though a crucial ligament injury prevented him from making any appearances in the last season, he made a strong comeback on the field this season. He has bagged two goals and three assists in 16 matches so far.

Tottenham target Nicolo Zaniolo in action for Italy.

Jose Mourinho is certainly aware of his abilities as he has been giving him consistent starts in Seria A. However, the Portuguese manager would be disheartened to know that he could lose the key player to his former team in the coming transfer window.

It is believed that Tottenham manager Antonio Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici agreed on the need for the 22-year-old player, and they are keeping tabs on the situation along with Serie A giants Juventus.

On the other hand, Roma are trying everything in their power to prevent a move involving the Italian starlet. But contract talks with the Argentine haven’t really gotten anywhere until now.

Zaniolo could become an excellent addition to Tottenham.

Despite the off-field change in diets and routines, the on-filed performance remains a concern for the Italian manager at N17. Even though the North London team won 2 games under Conte, their performances showed no real spark.

It wouldn’t be audacious to think that Conte would want to bring in some players that suit his style once January arrives. Zaniolo has previously admitted that he may not be built for Conte’s 3-5-2 system, but that shouldn’t be anything that should rule out a potential move. After all, crazier things have happened in football before.

A young player like Zaniolo, who has shown a great work rate and attitude under Mourinho, can flourish at Tottenham. The Italian player left Inter before Antonio Conte’s inclusion as head manager but Conte would have had an up-close view of the player when his Inter side played out a 0-0 draw with Roma in the 2019/20 season.