Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is believed to hold an interest in England midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
This is according to journalist Matt Law of The Times, who reports the Italian to be a big fan of the 26-year-old Leeds United ace ahead of the summer window.
And this report emerges amid the serious question marks which surround the midfielder’s future at Elland Road, with a number of teams believed to be showing an interest.
Spurs added to their midfield in January in the form of Rodrigo Bentancur, but Law suggests the Italian is still looking to add a further two new faces to his options in the summer.
So with Phillips said to be a player who has caught the attention of the Spurs manager, what would his potential arrival in north London mean for Spurs?
Who would you start alongside Bentancur?
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Oliver Skipp
Kalvin Phillips
A big addition to the squad
Over the last couple of years, Phillips has become a regular in the England national side and his performances have seen the likes of Manchester United show a reported interest ahead of the summer window.
This season has been disrupted by injury, which has seen the midfielder miss a lot of action as a result of a hamstring issue suffered in December.
However, in the 2020/21 campaign, Phillips registered 74 successful tackles for the Whites, as well as making 49 interceptions and providing 61 blocks (via FBRef).
And even this season, despite making just 14 appearances, Phillips has recorded 42 tackles, which is 16 more than Bentancur has registered in his 11 appearances for Spurs.
The £60m-rated ace has built up a big reputation in the Premier League that has caught the attention of numerous clubs, so Leeds may see a bidding war unfold.
Spurs parted with just £20m in January for Bentancur, and the Uruguayan has had a huge impact on the Spurs midfield, so would a likely club-record fee for Phillips be approved by Daniel Levy?
Goodbye Winks?
The future of Harry Winks has been under a lot of speculation over the last year, with a potential move to Newcastle United reported in the January window.
And it is apparent he is not in the plans of the Italian manager, with just 35 minutes of action to his name over the course of the last seven Premier League games.
Youngster Oliver Skipp has impressed Conte since the 52-year-old was appointed and is set to return to the fold very soon after his own injury issues.
Given Winks is currently the third-choice central midfielder with Skipp sidelined, when the 21-year-old does return, it will likely knock Winks back to fourth-choice and put his spot in the matchday squad a risk.
So if Phillips was to be added to those options, it is incredibly hard to see where Winks’ spot in the side would be and could be an option to generate some funds with two years left on his deal.
In other news: ‘Conte is really angry’ – Alasdair Gold reveals what has left Spurs manager ‘seething’