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Tottenham Hotspur appear to be at the front of the queue to bring Jordan Veretout back to the Premier League, according to reports in Italy.

Veretout endured an ill-fated spell with Aston Villa in the 2015-16 season. It ended in relegation from the top flight and he subsequently rebuilt his career elsewhere. After spells with Saint-Etienne and Fiorentina, he has been a Roma player since 2019.

In his first two seasons in the Italian capital, the box-to-box midfielder impressed. This season, he has remained a regular starter despite his form dropping.

But Jose Mourinho has been eager for Roma to sign more midfielders for a while. His first reinforcement in that regard arrived last week in the shape of Porto loanee Sergio Oliveira, after the addition of Ainsley Maitland-Niles (who he is mainly using as a right-back) from Arsenal.

Veretout is now facing an uncertain future as a result. When Mourinho’s first lineup including Oliveira was released at the weekend, the Frenchman was the one to make way.

By a twist of fate, he ended up playing the whole match after all due to an injury to Lorenzo Pellegrini. But in the long-term, Veretout could now become a transfer opportunity for several sides.

According to reliable Rome-based outlet Il Tempo, Tottenham particularly like the 28-year-old if he is to become available.

Antonio Conte will want backing in the transfer market and Fabio Paratici could fix his gaze towards the Italian market again. Spurs took Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero from Atalanta in the summer, for example.

Conte would like Tottenham to sign a new midfielder. Tanguy Ndombele looks likely to face a future away from the club and the likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli could also be at risk.

Players like Weston McKennie have been linked, but Tottenham could now turn their attention to someone currently playing for their former boss Mourinho.

Tottenham battle Napoli for Veretout

Should they firm up their interest in Veretout, they would face competition from his long-term admirers Napoli.

It could therefore be down to Mourinho (and his superiors) to decide whether he would rather do a favour for a club he didn’t leave on the best of terms, or a more direct rival to his current task.

Veretout is under contract in Rome until 2024. He has played for his current club 108 times, scoring 22 goals (including 13 penalties).

Last month, Veretout was tipped to join Newcastle for their first PIF-led transfer window. Talk of such a move seems to have gone quiet. Although, Il Tempo do say he is liked in the Premier League, only namechecking Spurs but hinting at more interest.

And he is not the only Mourinho midfielder Tottenham have been looking at. There have also been links with his Roma teammates Ebrima Darboe, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolo Zaniolo.

However, each deal would seem more difficult than one for Veretout.

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Spurs summer signing on way out?

Meanwhile, one of Paratici’s previous deals from Italy is under scrutiny, with summer signing Gollini facing an uncertain future.

After Atalanta took Juan Musso from Udinese, the Italian was no longer first choice there. As such, he wanted to find a new home – and Tottenham came calling. They took him on loan for the season with an option to buy.

In the process, it marked his return to English football after a previous stint with Aston Villa when they were in the Championship. But much like that spell was short, his time at Tottenham could end abruptly.

Indeed, Gollini has not managed to escape the struggles for gametime he forecasted having in Bergamo. For Tottenham, he has yet to feature in the Premier League.

Firmly behind Hugo Lloris still in the hierarchy, his eight appearances have all been across cup competitions.

And with Tottenham continually linked with other keepers for next summer – such as Sam Johnstone – it seems improbable that they will use their option to buy Gollini.

According to Citta Celeste, the 26-year-old has now become an option for Lazio, who are in need of a new goalkeeper.

The responsibilities in Rome have been shared between Pepe Reina and Thomas Strakosha this season. However, neither have fully convinced. Former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri wants to take a new number one.

Sarri has now supposedly identified Gollini as someone he wants to turn their attention to. The report claims he is “not satisfied” at Tottenham and “determined” to leave.

It seems likely he would have to wait until the summer to do so. But now any doubts over his long-term Tottenham future will have heightened.

READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano tells top Arsenal target that playing under Conte at Tottenham would be ‘perfect’

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