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Tottenham are reportedly one of several clubs to have had a scout in attendance for Italy Under-21s friendly clash with Romania on Tuesday.

Tuttomercatoweb claims that there were ‘no shortage of observers’ in the stands for the game, which the Italians won 4-2. The reports states that officials from Spurs, Atletico Madrid and AC Milan were among the biggest names in attendance.

Italy currently boasts some of the most promising young talents in European football. And one player who is making a name for himself is striker Lorenzo Lucca, who has scored six goals and added two assists in 12 games for Serie B side Pisa this term.

He started the game on the bench and failed to make an appearance as defender Simone Canestrelli stole the headlines with a hat-trick and an own goal in the comfortable win.

The report from Tuttomercatoweb (as cited by Sport Witness) states that Fabio Paratici is keeping tabs on Italy’s top talent, even at the lower level, with a view to potentially bolstering Antonio Conte’s squad.

Explosive Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic appears to be closing in on a club-record switch to north London. Meanwhile, Inter Milan centre-back Stefan De Vrij could also be Spurs bound in the new year.

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Hoddle sends Conte warning to Levy

Meanwhile, Glenn Hoddle has warned Tottenham supremo Daniel Levy he must alter his customary approach or risk missing out on a golden opportunity under Antonio Conte.

Glenn Hoddle knows the challenges of managing Tottenham better than most, but believes Antonio Conte is the best man to get it right. Conte was announced as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor before the international break and is tasked with taking Spurs back to the top table of English football.

Hoddle, who has documented his life and career in his new autobiography ‘Playmaker’, had dreams of doing similar when he took the job in 2001, but it did not quite work out like that.

The 64-year-old’s love for the club shines through in the book, but he feels he was not given the backing required to rebuild an ageing squad, expressing frustration with the way chairman Daniel Levy conducted transfer deals.

Conte is a man known for demanding funds – a factor understood to have been key in why initial talks broke down during the summer.

Hoddle, who watched Spurs as a boy and went on to play for them for 12 years, says Conte is the best man for the job and must be given the power – and money – to overhaul the squad.

Levy told to splash the cash

However, he also insisted Spurs chief Levy must be willing to change when the inevitable time comes when Conte demands both a clear-out and influx of new faces.

“I think the appointment was as best as Daniel could have made at that time,” he said.

“Out of anyone out there, I don’t think you could have picked anyone better if Daniel’s attitude has slightly changed now. It must have changed from when he went for him in the summer.

“I think there’s a lot of positives here. He is somebody that knows what he wants from a team. He will demand that and he will demand money if it’s not working his way.

“I think they’re in a really strong position if Daniel knows the circumstances and Conte says, ‘Look, if it doesn’t work out with certain players, they’ve got to go. I’ll rebuild. And I’ve done it with other clubs and have been successful’.

“And I think Daniel’s got to buy into that now. If that’s the case, then yes, we’ve got the right jockey on the horse.”

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