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Tottenham and Bologna have reportedly reached an ‘agreement in principle’ for the transfer of versatile Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Spurs have been chasing the centre-back, who can also play at full-back, since Fabio Paratici’s arrival in north London as the club’s new sporting director. The Italian watched Tomiyasu at first-hand during his previous role at Juventus and earmarked him as an upgrade to Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence.

And now CalcioMercato.it states that Tottenham are ‘getting closer and closer’ to signing the 22-year-old after raising their bid.

The report claims that Paratici has upped the club’s offer to €20m excluding bonuses. And with Bologna demanding €22m, the clubs are now able to find a ‘general agreement’.

However, there are still some obstacles to overcome, chiefly the method of payment from Spurs.

Calcio adds that Atalanta also remain interested in the player, especially with Tottenham wanting Cristian Romero. However, the north London side remain the favourites for his signature.

Finally the report adds that an agreement for Tomiyasu has been in place for some time, so there should be no issues getting it over the line once the player is done playing for his country at the Olympics.

Bologna have also already lined-up a replacement in the shape of Standard Liege defender Arthur Theate.

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Tottenham eyeing Serie B hitman

Meanwhile, Tottenham have turned their attention to Serie B striker Simy in their hunt for an attacking reinforcement, according to reports.

The centre-forward position is an area of concern for Tottenham ahead of the new season. They are bracing themselves for bids for star man Harry Kane, who they remain insistent on keeping. Even if he stays, though, they will need more competition for the England captain up front.

Last season, they had Carlos Vinicius on loan from Benfica. He did well in cup competitions, but only managed one Premier League goal, so has returned to his parent club. Spurs are now on the hunt for further depth alongside Kane.

There have been suggestions that new coach Nuno Espirito Santo may want to play a system with two strikers. With that in mind, they have been linked with Southampton star Danny Ings. Despite him only having one year on his contract, though, he may be hard to prise away.

Thus, Tottenham are considering all their options and a new name has emerged onto their radar. According to Corriere Dello Sport, following similar reports from the Daily Telegraph, they are considering a move for Crotone hitman Simy.

The 29-year-old plundered in 20 Serie A goals for his club last season, but that alone was not enough to save them from relegation. Having become Crotone’s all-time record scorer in the process, though, Simy may now be considering his future.

Simy deal a potential gamble

The towering Nigeria international has shown he is capable of performing in a top-flight league. Whether he can make the step up to someone of Tottenham’s level remains to be seen, but with consecutive seasons with more than 20 goals under his belt, he may be worth a gamble.

Despite being a second-tier club now, Crotone will hold out for a decent fee for their striker. They want at least €10m to sanction his sale.

Newly promoted Serie A side Salernitana are also interested in him, but so too could be Tottenham – potentially prompting one of the more unique transfer battles of the summer.

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