Tottenham Hotspur are pushing hard to complete the signing of Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci this summer after he was made the express wish of Fabio Paratici, but the London side do face competition from three elite Serie A sides, sources have confirmed.
Spurs have made strengthening their midfield a priority for the transfer window and although Paratici officially left the club two years ago, he is still recommending players.
TEAMtalk exclusively revealed last month that Paratici is expected to return to Tottenham in an official capacity this summer.
The Italian was handed a 30-month suspension from football in January 2023 after his former club Juventus, where he worked for 11 years, was found guilty by an Italian court of false accounting.
Paratici’s return is now closer than ever after several Italian outlets have claimed that AC Milan are set to leave the race for the transfer guru due to ‘legal issues.’
As previously reported, Paratici has recommended 23-year-old Torino midfielder Ricci to Tottenham in recent months. Sources have now stated that Spurs continue to follow his situation and monitor his performances closely ahead of a big-money summer swoop.
Torino, for their part, are willing to sell Ricci for the right price. Their valuation stands at around €40m (£34.3m, $44.1m), but that is considered negotiable. With interest growing in the eight-time capped Italian international, Spurs will have to move quickly if they want to sign him this summer.
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Tottenham face competition for Italian international
Despite Ricci being firmly on Tottenham’s radar, TEAMtalk understands that they have NOT contacted the player’s agents about a transfer yet.
Spurs are yet to follow up their interest with any concrete moves and in general – NO English club has contacted Ricci’s entourage.
However, other clubs are interested, especially in Italy. Sources state that AC Milan have shown the most concrete interest in Ricci to date – again thanks to Paratici’s recommendation – while Inter Milan and Napoli are also following his situation.
We understand that Ricci is open to a new challenge and he won’t be short of offers this summer. His contract with Torino is valid until 2028, but a €40m bid will likely be enough to sign him this summer.
When asked about his future in an interview in October, Ricci said: “How does it feel to be linked with Milan? It definitely gives so much pleasure, but I’ve learned about football a little bit.
“When things are going well you get approached by these clubs and it’s gratifying because it means that the work is the right one, the path is the right one.”
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IN FOCUS: Tottenham target Samuele Ricci
