New Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has told the club he wants to sign Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli on one condition, according to Calciomercato.
De Zerbi was named as Tottenham's new manager on a five-year deal on Tuesday, with the Italian convinced to join Spurs ahead of the summer despite that being his initial preference.
The length of contract and the fact that the north Londoners made their number one target one of the best-paid managers in the Premier League, only behind Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, probably helped, but is a show of commitment from both parties to the project ahead.
The first part of that project is ensuring Tottenham remain in the Premier League, with relegation a genuine possibility with seven matches of the season left to play.
Spurs currently lie one point above the drop zone ahead of De Zerbi's first match in charge against Sunderland on Wearside a week on Sunday, but they could be in the bottom three by the time they kick off if West Ham United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at the London Stadium on April 10.
De Zerbi Requests Locatelli Signing in ENIC Meeting
According to Calciomercato, De Zerbi has added Locatelli to his summer transfer wishlist as he looks to rebuild a Tottenham team who has struggled in the Premier League for two successive seasons.
In his initial meetings with ENIC, the Italian named potential transfer targets for next season and named the Juve captain as a player he'd like to bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Of course, any potential deal will likely depend on Spurs preserving their Premier League status, with a transfer for Locatelli extremely unlikely should the club drop into England's second tier.
The report adds that Locatelli's exit from Juve this summer shouldn't be ruled out, as the Old Lady could capitalise on his value being at its best ahead of his contract expiring in two years' time.
Manuel Locatelli Would Bring Two Key Qualities
Firstly, Locatelli has proven his quality during his career and as well as making over 300 appearances in Serie A with the likes of Juve and AC Milan, he also has extensive experience playing in the Champions League too.
The 28-year-old has been described as 'one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe' by Breaking the Lines, and he rarely misses a game having been one of the first names on the team-sheet for Luciano Spalletti at the Allianz Stadium.
The other attraction of Locatelli is his leadership, given he is captain of one of the biggest clubs on the continent.
That quality is something that has been severely lacking at Tottenham this season, and adding another leader to a squad that has struggled with confidence and reaction to adversity would be the perfect tonic.
Should De Zerbi keep Spurs in the Premier League, then a move for Locatelli will surely be one to watch.