Tottenham Hotspur will no doubt be eager to bolster their ranks in the summer transfer window in wake of a mixed end to the season.
Spurs hit the ground running under Ange Postecoglou and, at one point of the season, they even looked like potential dark horses for the title.
However, a downturn in form has left Tottenham needing a point to guarantee themselves a place in the Europa League next term.
Spurs could do with improving their strength in depth, especially if they’re in Europe next season.
And according to a report from Italy, Tottenham are in pursuit of a defender said to be one of the best in the world when it comes to aerial duels.
The player in question is Bologna centre-back Riccardo Calafiori and, according to Tuttosport, Spurs are one of several big teams in pursuit of the player.
As well as Tottenham, the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan and Napoli are also after the 21-year-old, while Juventus are said to be frontrunners for his signature.
Indeed, the report claims Juve have lined up a five-year contract for Calafiori and are confident of getting a deal over line for the £22million-rated powerhouse.
With that in mind, Tottenham will need to move fast if they are to beat Juve to Calafiori’s signature this summer.
Who is Tottenham target Riccardo Calafiori?
The Italy Under-21 international – who mostly plays at centre-back but can also play at left-back – has battled back from serious injury to become a Serie A rising star.
Back in 2018, Calafiori was playing for Roma and he was being backed to become a Giallorossi icon like Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi.
However, a horror tackle in a UEFA Youth League encounter left him with a serious injury.
Calafiori underwent surgery and set about on the road to recovery. He went on to make 18 senior appearances for Roma before moving to Basel in 2022.
Just a year later, Calafiori returned to Serie A with Bologna, where he has made 32 appearances to date, helping the Rossoblu qualify for the Champions League.
Scouting outlet Breaking the Lines has written an in-depth report about Calafiori, and they can’t help but sing his praises.
They compare him to Josko Gvardiol and say he’s ‘a menace in the air. He stands at 6ft 2in tall, and times his jumps perfectly to dominate aerial duels.
‘With a 72 percent aerial duel success rate, Calafiori is one of the best in the world in this aspect.’
BTL conclude by writing: ‘The sky is the limit for Riccardo Calafiori. For someone so huge in stature, it is rare to see someone so technical in possession.
‘His aggressive style, coupled with his ability to conduct build-up and operate in the pockets, make him the perfect Italian centre-back to compete with Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and potentially even surpass him.
‘Alongside Alessandro Buongiorno and Giorgio Scalvini, he is yet another up-and-coming centre-back in Italy’s new generation, and with a contract until 2027, he could very well be headed for a big-money move sooner rather than later.’