Tottenham Hotspur ‘handed’ transfer boost in pursuit of midfield ace

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been handed a boost in their bid to sign Nicolo Zaniolo after failing to complete a deal for the midfielder this summer.

According to Il Messaggero, Roma have opened contract talks with Zaniolo however the two parties remain far from an agreement - meaning he could leave the club on the cheap instead.

The Italian joined Roma for only €4.5 million four years ago and has been a regular in the starting line-up, though seems to have lost his place in the team this season following the arrivals of Nemanja Matic and Paulo Dybala.

Tottenham had initially tried to snap him up last month but were put off by his £50m price tag - however failure to put pen to paper could mean Spurs will go back in for him.

With the 23-year-old’s contract set to expire in 2024, Jose Mourinho’s side may be willing to let him go next summer if he doesn’t extend his stay at the Stadio Olimpico.

Despite doubts over his future in Rome, it was only last month that Il Corriere dello Sport reported that the Serie A club were preparing to make the midfielder one of their highest paid players and almost double his current salary.

With Antonio Conte’s side only just forking out millions to pay for the likes of Richarlison and Yves Bissouma, they may be wary of splashing the cash any further - however a bargain deal for Zaniolo could prove too tempting.