Italian midfielder Nicolo Fagioli. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur are in pole position to sign Italian star Nicolo Fagioli, according to reports.
Fagioli has been with Juventus since 2015 and after coming through the youth ranks, he now has 65 senior appearances to his name in all competitions.
However, the seven-time Italy international missed most of last season due to suspension gambling crimes.
Thiago Motta took over as Juventus manager in the summer and since returning, Fagioli has been unable to get back into the team.
The 23-year-old has started just five Serie A games this season, playing just 36% of possible minutes, although he has managed a further 205 minutes in four Champions League appearances.
Nicolo Fagioli: Tottenham in pole position to sign the Juve star
Reports (via Spurs Web) now say Juventus could allow Fagioli to leave the club for as little as £20.7m in January.
Several Premier League clubs have been alerted to the midfielder’s plight, including Fulham, Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.
But the latter appear to have the upper hand in the race to sign Fagioli, who is looking to join the biggest club possible to boost his chances of playing European football.
Fagioli, who is also attracting interest from French giants Marseille, appears to have been a target of Ange Postecoglou for more than 18 months.
Former Juventus defender Sergio Porrini has advised the club to receive Fagioli’s salary: €53,462 per week according to capology – off the books if they have the chance.
“If the right amount came along, I would honestly sell it,” Porrini said. “In this Juve, there is no star. Therefore, everyone is important and no one is indispensable.”
When asked about the possibility of signing players to help his injury squad in January, Spurs manager Postecoglou he answered: “Yes, I guess if there are the right players. Again, it’s about making sure it’s something that will help us continue to build on what we’re doing.”
