Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic is now a ‘concrete possibility’ for Tottenham Hotspur following Antonio Conte’s return to the Premier League, experienced Italian director Giorgio Perinetti told Tuttomercatoweb.
Imagine, for a second, that you’re one of the hottest prospects on the market; a free-scoring 21-year-old centre-forward with clubs from all corners of the continent fluttering their eyelashes in your direction.
A few weeks ago, you might have given Tottenham Hotspur the cold shoulder.
Nuno Espirito Santo is hardly the most charismatic of characters, after all, and Spurs’ performances didn’t exactly paint the picture of a club heading in the right direction.
But Nuno’s sudden departure – and the subsequent appointment of Antonio Conte – appears to have changed the picture completely.
Spurs may still be ninth in the Premier League table but, in Conte, they now have a manager who can justifiably call Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola an equal; someone with a proven track record when it comes to turning underachieving sides into relentless winning machines.
Will Dusan Vlahovic be Antonio Conte’s first big Spurs signing?
According to The Mail, Conte has made Dusan ‘the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic’ Vlahovic one of his number one targets, alongside Inter Milan general Nicolo Barella.
As Perinetti points out, Tottenham – with Conte at the helm – are suddenly a more attractive destination than they were on Sunday.
“(Fabio) Paratici’s perseverance was rewarded. Conte accepted this intriguing challenge by evaluating positively the quality of the squad. Tottenham is a club of tradition and potential,” said Perinetti, who has worked at Napoli, Juventus and Roma and is now employed by Siena.
“Although Levy has considerable financial resources, I do not know how much will be available in January. Conte’s appeal can be decisive (when it comes to luring potential targets).
“Given the situation in Fiorentina, Vlahovic seems to me a concrete possibility. Inter could consider the sale of (centre-back Milan) Skriniar and less so a young man like (Alessandro) Bastoni, who also represents an asset for the future.
“As for me, I hope to soon have a player from Siena that I can offer to Conte and Tottenham!”
Vlahovic, who is rumoured to be valued at a staggering £77 million, recently turned down the chance to extend his contract at Fiorentina with a departure in 2022 looking increasingly likely.
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