Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is reportedly looking to raid Serie A giants Roma to bolster his midfield in January as he prepares for the absence of two key performers.
Injuries and suspensions have hit hard at Spurs over the course of the last week, with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Richarlison all missing the weekend defeat at Wolves.
Romero remains banned for two more games, while Udogie should return against Aston Villa next time out, as long as recovers from the groin injury that has forced him out of international duty with Italy.
However, Van der Ven and Maddison will be out until January by which time Postecoglou will also have to deal with losing Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr to the African Cup of Nations.
Rodrigo Bentancur has at least returned to fitness and is currently easing his way back into the action, but that leaves Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp as the other main midfield options for Postecoglou to turn to.
To that end, a fresh report claims the Australian is keen on a move for Italy international Bryan Cristante.
Il Romanista states that the Roma man has emerged on Spurs' radar, although Jose Mourinho is expected to fight tooth and nail to keep him.
The 28-year-old is considered a key figure at the Olympic Stadium and only penned a fresh contract extension in Rome in June of this year.
But despite that, Il Romanista adds that January is likely to bring an approach from the north London side to 'try to give fresh forces' to Postecoglou.
Cristante has been described as a 'fulcrum' of Mourinho's current engine room and is viewed as an 'irreplaceable element' in the team, both on and off the pitch.
DON'T MISS: Ranking the Premier League clubs by their transfer net spend in 2023: Chelsea top, Man Utd above Liverpool...
Offer of EUR30m could tempt Roma into deal And, while the Serie A giants do not want to lose a player midway through a season, it's reported that an 'offer that cannot be refused' from Tottenham's end could make them change their mind.
At this stage, it's thought that a figure in the region of EUR30m could make the Friedkin family consider a permanent transfer.
@ASRomaEN's Bryan Cristante is a non-stop motor #RomaLecce pic.twitter.com/4C3ApJE26e
- Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) November 6, 2023
That sort of figure would represent somewhat of a bargain for a player who has already won 36 caps for his country and was part of the Italy squad that won the delayed Euro 2020.
The big issue for Tottenham, if they do actually persuade Roma into a sale, is what happens when Bissouma and Sarr return from the AFCON and then Postecoglou has a plethora of options to pick from.
There is also the added uncertainty over what the club intend to do with Hojbjerg, who continues to be linked with a January exit.
The Dane has turned into a key backup option for Postecoglou but will be needed even more when January rolls around and Spurs lose two key men.