Following the signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa, Tottenham were immediately linked with another defender in Riccardo Calafiori.
Signing two centre-backs in the January transfer window might have been a bit much, meaning this was always going to be a move for the summer, and the rumours just aren’t going away.
Gazzetta dello Sport have a profile on the 21-year-old, who has impressed so much that he is expected to be selected by Luciano Spalletti for the upcoming international break.
His performances have stood out since his late move to Bologna from FC Basel, and that’s why clubs such as Tottenham and Juventus are after him.
He was signed for €4m on August 31st, but the newspaper believe his price has ‘more than quadrupled’ since then, with reports previously stating the Serie A side will want around €30m for him down the line.
Since there is no way of Tottenham getting him before the transfer window, this suggests they will have to move decisively and quickly for a player described as a ‘total’ defender, since he can play at full-back, as a centre-back and there’s a belief he could also excel in midfield if required.
Thiago Motta’s influence on him have made him not just a centre-back, but also ‘into a John Stones’, who can step up and create from further up the field if needed.
That’s why ‘everyone likes him’, with Juventus and Tottenham named as interested parties, suggesting a heated battle could take place in the summer for a player quite clearly on the rise.
