Tottenham are reportedly ready to spend a significant amount of their summer transfer budget on improving their midfield, with the latest reports from Italy suggesting they are ready to circle back for a player they wanted to sign in the last two windows.
Ange Postecoglou’s midfield has been the area of the team hit the least hard by injury issues this term, but it could be argued it’s been the most inconsistent in terms of performance levels – no matter who the Spurs boss has deployed in there.
Rodrigo Bentancur has been the mainstay over the last month or so, with talented teenager Lucas Bergvall edging out the likes of Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr for a role alongside the Uruguayan.
Given there is every chance that Bissouma could be offloaded this summer, a move to strengthen that area of the team comes as no great surprise. Indeed, Postecoglou – assuming he remains in charge at Tottenham – could even look to add two new midfield additions.
A report from Spain on Monday suggested a swoop for Atletico Madrid star Pablo Barrios could be on the cards, although the Spain international could cost as much as €75million (£62m / $78m).
However, a cheaper alternative has emerged in the shape of Inter Mian star Davide Frattesi, with InterLive suggesting that the Italy international remains a player they continue to have serious interest in.
The north London outfit were keen on landing the 25-year-old last summer, only to be rebuffed, while those links continued throughout the January window but also failed to materialise.
However, Inter’s form stance could change this summer, with the report suggesting that the Italian club’s president Giuseppe Marotta is now said to be considering a sale.
The player himself, meanwhile, is also thought to leaning towards an exit – giving Tottenham hope that a deal can be struck for the Inter star, who has played 25 times for Italy.
Tottenham set their price for Frattesi
It’s claimed that Tottenham are willing to offer £24.8million (€30m / $31.4m) to wrap up a deal for Frattesi, although it’s unclear how much Inter are likely to demand for a player who is valued at £26.5million (€32m / $33.5m) on Transfermarkt and remains under contract until 2028.
Spurs are not the only club showing an interest in the box-to-box midfielder though, with InterLive also suggesting that Juventus are keen on raiding their Serie A rivals for the player.
Frattesi has only been with Inter since last summer, though he did spend last season on loan at San Siro before making a permanent switch from Sassuolo.
He has scored four goals and added two assists in 30 appearances in all competitions, with the majority of his outings coming as a No.8 – although he has also the ability to play further forward in a more creative role.
Frattesi has also won 25 senior caps for Italy, scoring eight times, having made his debut back in 2022.
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Frattesi style of play
Frattesi is now in his second season with Inter and fourth as a Serie A player after his previous spell with Sassuolo, and reached a quarter of a century of caps for Italy in November.
At the age of 25, the Rome-born midfielder – who had spells in the academies of both capital clubs growing up – has worked his way up to become a useful squad member for the reigning Italian champions.
A box-to-box midfielder by nature, Frattesi brings energy to the middle of the park and can be the trigger for intensity in his team. He thrives on getting into spaces between the lines and is a capable ball carrier.
Right-footed, he is more of a short passer than someone who will look to spread the play, but his direct nature allows him to cause danger. He currently averages a goal contribution roughly every third game, which is encouraging considering he isn’t always a starter.
Tactically, he usually fits in as a right-sided central midfielder in a midfield three, but playing in a box-to-box role in a midfield partnership is not beyond him.
Strong on the break thanks to his mix of stamina and technical quality, his movement is intelligent as he roams into pockets of space where opponents can find it challenging to track him. Equally, he can break up play in the opposite phase.
There are areas of his game to improve, and sometimes it can feel like more established players are dictating the pace of a game more than him, but Frattesi is fairly unique among the current cohort of Italian midfielders and that makes him an attractive proposition.